Irfan Pathan on IPL 2025 Exit and Hardik Pandya Criticism
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has spoken out on speculation about his exit from the IPL 2025 broadcast panel, linking it to his criticism of Hardik Pandya during the latter’s debut season as Mumbai Indians captain.
Speaking to TheLallantop, Pathan said his commentary is rooted in professionalism and not personal grudges. “If I’m criticising you in 7 matches out of 14, I’m still being lenient. That is our job as broadcasters,” he explained when asked about the player who influenced his exit.
Pathan emphasised that constructive analysis is a key duty for commentators. He dismissed any claims of rivalry with Pandya or other Baroda players. “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,” he said.
The former all-rounder recalled supporting Hardik early in his career. Back in 2012, Pathan had recommended the young all-rounder to Sunrisers Hyderabad, but the opportunity did not materialise. “VVS Laxman admitted on Star Sports, that he was at fault for not listening to me, and not picking Hardik in 2012. If he had picked him then, Hardik would have played for Hyderabad,” Pathan revealed.
Pathan on defending Hardik
Pathan also pointed out that he publicly defended Pandya during the 2024 IPL season. At the time, Pandya faced criticism from Mumbai Indians fans after replacing Rohit Sharma as captain. “There is nothing wrong in 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,” Pathan said.
According to Pathan, his commentary always targets on-field performances, not personalities, and aims to maintain the spirit of the game.
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