Indian sports presenter Riddhima Pathak's first reaction post Bangladesh Premier League ouster; ‘Cricket deserves truth’
Riddhima Pathak was scheduled to present the Dhaka leg of BPL 2025-26. She was part of the BPL presentation panel, which included Pakistani TV host Zainab Abbas, and former cricketers Waqar Younis, Ramiz Raja and Darren Gough.
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 presentation, Pathak was scheduled to host the Dhaka leg of BPL 2025-26.
However, recent media reports stated that she has been dropped from the ongoing BPL's presentation panel, which also includes Pakistani TV host Zainab Abbas, and former cricketers Waqar Younis, Ramiz Raja and Darren Gough.
Taking to Instagram, 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 protest, the BCB wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their matches to a neutral venue in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India. Meanwhile, the interim Bangladesh government also ordered a ban on the telecast of IPL matches in the country.
Mustafizur was bought by three-time IPL champions KKR for ₹9.20 crore during the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi last year. In fact, Mustafizur was the only Bangladesh player to get a team in IPL 2026.
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Koushik, a Deputy Content Producer at LiveMint, has more than seven years of experience in sports reporting and desk. At LiveMint, Koushik covers sports extensively and keeps the readers informed on key developments from around the world. Koushik is very particular about factual storytelling and is committed to delivering accurate, insightful news.