Irfan Pathan has been excluded from the commentary panel for IPL 2025 due to allegations of personal bias and inappropriate comments regarding certain players. This decision follows concerns from broadcasters about his on-air remarks and social media activity, where he has been accused of taking “potshots” at specific individuals, particularly after a fallout with some players in the past.
Pathan, who has been a familiar voice in cricket commentary since his retirement, reportedly did not refrain from expressing his grievances, which led to dissatisfaction among the broadcasters. Sources indicate that his comments have sometimes affected junior players who were inadvertently caught in the crossfire of his critiques.
In response to his exclusion, Pathan has launched a new YouTube channel titled “Seedhi Baat With Irfan Pathan,” where he plans to provide detailed analyses of cricket matches. This incident is reminiscent of previous cases where high-profile commentators faced similar consequences for their remarks, such as Sanjay Manjrekar’s removal from commentary duties in 2020 after a controversial statement about Ravindra Jadeja.
Irfan Pathan Cricket Career
Batting & Fielding Average
| Type | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 29 | 40 | 5 | 1105 | 102 | 2076 | 53.22 | 1 | 6 | 131 | 18 | 8 | 0 |
| ODIs | 120 | 87 | 21 | 1544 | 83 | 1941 | 79.54 | 0 | 5 | 142 | 37 | 21 | 0 |
| T20Is | 24 | 14 | 7 | 172 | 33* | 144 | 119.44 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| FC | 122 | 179 | 29 | 4559 | 121 | – | – | 3 | 26 | – | – | 30 | 0 |
| List A | 193 | 143 | 33 | 2454 | 83 | 3073 | 79.85 | 0 | 9 | – | – | 39 | 0 |
| T20s | 181 | 142 | 54 | 2020 | 65* | 1628 | 124.07 | 0 | 2 | 150 | 70 | 44 | 0 |
Bowling Average
| Type | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 29 | 54 | 5884 | 3226 | 100 | 7/59 | 12/126 | 32.26 | 3.28 | 58.8 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| ODIs | 120 | 118 | 5855 | 5142 | 173 | 5/27 | 5/27 | 29.72 | 5.26 | 33.8 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| T20Is | 24 | 23 | 462 | 618 | 28 | 3/16 | 3/16 | 22.07 | 8.02 | 16.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FC | 122 | – | 21034 | 10880 | 384 | 7/35 | – | 28.33 | 3.10 | 54.7 | – | 19 | 3 |
| List A | 193 | – | 9365 | 7898 | 272 | 5/27 | 5/27 | 29.03 | 5.06 | 34.4 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| T20s | 181 | 175 | 3606 | 4568 | 173 | 5/13 | 5/13 | 26.40 | 7.60 | 20.8 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
