On Friday, the IPL 2025 commentary team was announced, and one familiar face was noticeably absent: Irfan Pathan, the former Indian all-rounder. Pathan has been a regular in commentary for previous seasons, but this time around, it seems he’s been left out due to some drama behind the scenes. Reports say that several current Indian players voiced their concerns about his remarks, claiming they felt his comments were more personal attacks than fair critiques.
According to a report from MyKhel, sentiments ran so high that one player even went as far as blocking Pathan’s number after not being pleased with his take on his performance during the recent series against Australia. A source shared with the website, If it wasn’t for the issues with his critical views, Pathan would definitely be part of the panel. This has been ongoing for the last couple of years where he seemed to push his own personal agenda against certain players, which didn’t sit well with the powers that be.
Pathan isn’t the first commentator to face this kind of trouble. In the past, others like Sanjay Manjrekar and Harsha Bhogale have found themselves out of favor due to complaints from players who didn’t like their commentary. Back in 2020, Manjrekar was dropped from BCCI’s commentary team for the ODI series against South Africa. This decision followed a string of controversial comments he made in 2019, including a public spat with commentator Bhogale and his infamous remarks about legendary player Sourav Ganguly. He also referred to Ravindra Jadeja as a “bits and pieces player, which didn’t go over well.
After he was let go, Manjrekar took to X to express his thoughts, saying, “Commentary has always been a privilege for me, never something I take for granted. Ultimately, it’s up to my employers whether they want me on board, and I’ll respect that. Maybe they haven’t been satisfied with how I’ve done lately, and that’s fair enough.”
Similarly, just before the IPL in 2016, Bhogale was mysteriously taken off the commentary list without any justification. He later shared his feelings on Facebook, admitting, I still don’t know why I’m not part of the IPL this season. I can handle the fact that some people might not like me, but I sincerely hope it’s not because some players have raised issues with my comments.
In summary, it looks like the dynamics between commentators and players continue to be tricky territory, with feelings running high on both sides. It’s all part of the unique world of sports commentary, where finding a balance between honest feedback and professional relationships can lead to some tough decisions and changes.
