Irfan Pathan, the former all-rounder for India, has finally spoken out about the rumours regarding the reasons for leaving the IPL 2025 broadcast panel. In an interview with TheLallantop, Pathan alluded to the possibility that his dismissal from the commentary panel stemmed from his criticism of India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, most likely during the latter's debut as captain of the Mumbai Indians.
There was a lot of talk before the 2025 Indian Premier League that Irfan Pathan had been removed from the broadcast panel because of his vocal criticism of prominent players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The former all-rounder for India has recently emphasised, though, that his comments were not a problem for either Rohit or Kohli. Hardik Pandya, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, was said to have felt singled out instead.
Irfan explained that, considering his position as a broadcaster, his remarks on Pandya were not too critical.
“If I’m criticising you in 7 matches out of 14, I’m still being lenient. That is our job as broadcasters. There is nothing wrong with criticising the player; if you play, you have to go through that. It happened with Sunil Gavaskar, the great Sachin Tendulkar. They never made anyone feel, they were bigger than the game. But I’m against the derogatory words used against Pandya," he mentioned in the interview.
Irfan highlighted that he has always backed Baroda cricket players and maintained that there was no personal rivalry between them. “There is no rivalry. All the Baroda players who have come after me — Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya or Hardik Pandya — none of them can say that Irfan-Yusuf did not help them."
Remarkably, Irfan also brought up the fact that he has defended Hardik in contentious situations. When Rohit Sharma was relieved of his captaincy prior to the 2024 Indian Premier League, he recalled the outcry that Pandya faced from supporters.
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Irfan Pathan reveals who got him axed from IPL commentary
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has claimed that Hardik Pandya played a key role in his removal from the IPL 2025 commentary panel. Pathan’s outspoken analysis and past criticism reportedly led to internal complaints, sparking debate over bias and politics in cricket broadcasting.
Irfan Pathan, the former all-rounder for India, has finally spoken out about the rumours regarding the reasons for leaving the IPL 2025 broadcast panel. In an interview with TheLallantop, Pathan alluded to the possibility that his dismissal from the commentary panel stemmed from his criticism of India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, most likely during the latter's debut as captain of the Mumbai Indians.
There was a lot of talk before the 2025 Indian Premier League that Irfan Pathan had been removed from the broadcast panel because of his vocal criticism of prominent players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The former all-rounder for India has recently emphasised, though, that his comments were not a problem for either Rohit or Kohli. Hardik Pandya, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, was said to have felt singled out instead.
Irfan explained that, considering his position as a broadcaster, his remarks on Pandya were not too critical.
“If I’m criticising you in 7 matches out of 14, I’m still being lenient. That is our job as broadcasters. There is nothing wrong with criticising the player; if you play, you have to go through that. It happened with Sunil Gavaskar, the great Sachin Tendulkar. They never made anyone feel, they were bigger than the game. But I’m against the derogatory words used against Pandya," he mentioned in the interview.
Irfan highlighted that he has always backed Baroda cricket players and maintained that there was no personal rivalry between them. “There is no rivalry. All the Baroda players who have come after me — Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya or Hardik Pandya — none of them can say that Irfan-Yusuf did not help them."
Remarkably, Irfan also brought up the fact that he has defended Hardik in contentious situations. When Rohit Sharma was relieved of his captaincy prior to the 2024 Indian Premier League, he recalled the outcry that Pandya faced from supporters.
Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!