Indian sports presenter Riddhima Pathak broke her silence on Wednesday on the recent controversy regarding her ouster from the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), stating that what is being said in the media is “not true.” One of the renowned faces in the Indian sports presenting, Pathak was scheduled to host the Dhaka leg of BPL 2025-26.
However, recent media reports stated that she has been dropped from ongoing BPL’s presentation panel which also includes her Pakistani counterpart Zainab Abbas, and former cricketers Waqar Younis, Ramiz Raja and Darren Gough.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Pathak stated that it was her personal decision to opt out of the franchise league. “”In the last few hours, there’s been a narrative suggesting I was ‘dropped’ from the BPL. That is not true. I made a personal decision to opt out,” she wrote.
However, Pathak didn’t clarify whether the recent India-Bangladesh cricketing controversy might have played a part in taking such a decision. “For me, my nation comes first—always. And I value the game of cricket far beyond any single assignment.
“I’ve been privileged to serve this sport for years with honesty, respect, and passion. That won’t change. I’ll continue to stand for integrity, for clarity, and for the spirit of the game. “Thank you to everyone who reached out with support. Your messages mean more than you know. Cricket deserves truth. Period. No further comments from my side,” she added.
Critical time for India, Bangladesh
Pathak’s BPL exit came at a critical time amid the Indo-Bangla political tensions. The BCCI last week ordered Kolkata Knight Riders to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman, which clearly didn’t go well with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
In a protest, the BCB wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their matches at a neutral venue in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India. Meanwhile, the interim Bangladesh government also ordered to ban the telecast of IPL matches in the country.
Mustafizur was bought by three-time IPL champions KKR for R 9.20 crore during the IPL 2026 mini-auction last year in Abu Dhabi. In fact, Mustafizur was the only Bangladesh player to get a team in IPL 2026.
