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From IPL sacking to ‘stand and deliver’: Hardik Pandya-Irfan Pathan rift timeline laid out

Soumyajit Dutta

Irfan Pathan and Hardik Pandya [Source: @irfanpathan_official, @hardikpandya93/Instagram]Irfan Pathan and Hardik Pandya [Source: @irfanpathan_official, @hardikpandya93/Instagram]

Hardik Pandya played one hell of a blitzkrieg in the first T20I against South Africa at Cuttack. Smashed brutal boundaries, towering sixes to deliver 59 runs off just 28 balls. This innings, though a blitzkrieg came from an injury recovered Pandya, who had to sit on the bench after the Asia Cup 2025.

Irfan Pathan, a counterpart of Hardik Pandya in what he did during his days for Team India, pulled up a nasty criticism on the player after the 2nd T20I between India and South Africa. 

Pathan, who praised the lad just a few days ago, took a U-turn to point out the ugly spots on the all-rounder’s technique and lack of skill on different pitches.

What did Irfan Pathan say about Pandya after IND vs SA 2nd T20I?

India won the toss in the 2nd T20I at Mullanpur and South Africa piled up a heavy total of 213 runs on board for the hosts to chase. Shubman Gill went out for a golden duck, Suryakumar Yadav bagged for a single-digit score, and Hardik Pandya, who was in at No. 6, couldn’t pull up with enough gas to accelerate India’s innings. He was visibly struggling to hit long shots at the Mullanpur pitch and bagged only 20 off 23.

Irfan Pathan came in with a glaring tweet on this soon after Hardik’s innings. Pathan was vocal on the ‘stand and deliver’ technique of Pandya with minimal footwork as the pitch lacked pace and bounce.

“It’s amazing how the game works. Just a day ago, on a different pitch, Hardik looked solid. But on a surface that offered something for the bowlers, his stand-and-deliver style didn’t click, because when the pitch lacks pace or bounce, you’ve got to move your feet,” Pathan wrote on his Twitter handle.

However, before this tweet, there had been an ugly rift between the two, one which Pathan claimed to have removed him from his IPL 2025 commentary stint.

Pathan vs Pandya in IPL 2024

Pathan was a prominent commentator on the panel in the 2024 edition of IPL and the ex-India player believes that during his time on the stint, he criticised Hardik Pandya’s gameplay and leadership on air, which led to his sacking.

“There are 14 matches in IPL. If I have criticised 7 times, then I have gone soft 7 times. You (Hardik) have made a mistake 14 times, and I have shown you seven times. This is our job," Pathan told in an interview with The Lallantop.

Pathan's criticisms that led to the latent rift with Hardik Pandya

Irfan Pathan’s criticism of Hardik was visible on the social media platform Twitter, too, as he was harsh on Hardik’s hitting abilities and didn’t mince words to point out Pandya’s lack of form.

“Hardik Pandya’s hitting ability is going down. That’s a big worry on a larger picture. At the Wankhede, he is different but on pitches where there is little help is what is worrisome for him,” Pathan wrote back in July 2024.

Tweets of Irfan Pathan on Pandya during IPL 2024

Here’s a series of tweets from Irfan Pathan below, where he criticised Hardik Pandya during IPL 2024.

“Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma’s form is a big worry for Mumbai and Indians. You hope that they come back to form quickly.”

“The team mumbai Indians that qualified last year didn’t had Jasprit Bumrah but this season they had his services. Still they are in this situation. Purely because the team wasn’t managed well on the ground. Too many mistakes by their captain Hardik Pandya. It’s the truth.”

One of the many tweets Pathan posted on Hardik Pandya [Source: Screengrab]One of the many tweets Pathan posted on Hardik Pandya [Source: Screengrab]

“Hardik will have to prove his worth for sure. He won’t walk In straight away.”

“The captaincy of Hardik Pandya has been ordinary to say the least. Keeping Bumrah away for too long when the carnage was on was beyond my understanding.”

Significantly, back in July 2021, Pathan was equally blunt on Pandya’s performance with the bat. “I don’t wanna start believing that Hardik Pandya is a good player of bad balls. Not just yet. Hopefully, his form and fitness come back soon,” wrote Pathan.

Did Hardik Pandya ever respond to Pathan?

It is important to note that Hardik Pandya hasn’t ever responded to Irfan Pathan’s comments directly. Pandya’s response to critics, though, has been pretty much with his skills on the field.

Nevertheless, the star all-rounder will now be focusing on upgrading his game as Dharamsala prepares for the third T20I on December 13.