Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan will not be part of the commentary team for this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Reports indicate that Irfan has been excluded from the commentary panel for IPL 2025.
Since his retirement, Irfan has been a consistent presence in the IPL commentary box, becoming one of the most recognizable voices in the game. However, he was notably absent during the opening match of IPL 2025 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 22.
According to a report by the Times of India (TOI), Irfan’s exclusion stems from complaints that the “broadcasters were unhappy with him bringing personal grudges onto the airwaves and his social media.”
The report mentioned that Pathan had a fallout with a few players a few years ago and had since made no effort to hide his criticism of them. The issue was raised that this sometimes impacted junior players who found themselves caught in the crossfire. Irfan has been accused of taking subtle digs at these players on social media, even if he didn’t name them directly.
In a new development, the 40-year-old recently launched his own YouTube channel, Seedhi Baat With Irfan Pathan, on March 22. He will be offering detailed game analysis on the platform.
