Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has cleared his name following his exclusion from the IPL 2025 commentary panel. Pathan has been a fixture in the commentary box since retirement from cricket but was not included this year in the wake of allegations of personal bias. The "Baroda Express" was accused of having a soft spot for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but he has now broken his silence. Pathan on Being Fair as a Commentator News reports had alleged that Pathan was dropped from the commentary box for taking personal vendettas to his job. He was also accused of having run-ins with some of the biggest players and showing bias towards them. In an interview with Lallantop, Pathan refuted those allegations, claiming he did not have any vendettas and always worked with honesty. Pathan said: "I believe that the job of commentators is to tell the story beyond what is visible, what is happening, why it is happening, and why it is happening. If a player performs well, then praise him. If he cannot do so, then criticise him. The responsibility of the commentator is not for the player but for the fans." Prior to IPL 2025, Pathan was on the commentary panel of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. India lost that series 3-1, which brought Test careers to an end for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Pathan had lambasted both players, which apparently irked broadcasters and fans. Also Read | Irfan Pathan Out of IPL 2025 Commentary Over Bias Claims He added: "Rohit Sharma is an amazing white-ball player. However, his average in Test cricket that year was 6. So we said that if Rohit was not the captain, he would not have got a place in the playing eleven. When Rohit also came, he was our guest. It was presented as if we were supporting him. But we were the ones who said that he does not deserve a place." Pathan on Kohli’s Slump Speaking about Virat Kohli, Pathan said he supported him during his initial dip in form but stressed that the team should always come first. Pathan said: "Virat Kohli had a slump in 2019-2020. I feel that when a big player faces his first slump, he should be backed. He deserves it too, because he won many matches for the team. But if this slump lasts for 5 years, then it is not right. In the end, the team is the most important." Whether Irfan Pathan gets back to the Star Sports broadcast panel or not is yet to be determined. He was seen in the commentary box last during the India vs England series, where Sony retained the broadcast rights. Since both Kohli and Rohit are retired from Tests now, the "Baroda Express" could make a comeback in the future.