BCB drops Indian Presenter Ridhima Pathak from BPL

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has removed Indian presenter Ridhima Pathak from the presentation panel of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), citing “recent developments,” officials confirmed on Tuesday (January 6).

However, no further details were provided regarding the matter.

Pathak’s removal is widely seen as linked to the recent political tensions between Bangladesh and India. The decision follows the exclusion of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL Kolkata Knight Riders squad on January 3, reportedly due to threats from extremist groups.

The BPL had included several international faces in its presentation and commentary teams to add diversity. Alongside Pathak, Pakistani presenter Zainab Abbas was part of the panel.

Former Pakistan captain and PCB chairman Ramiz Raja and former England all-rounder Darren Gough were included in the commentary team.

In response to the IPL developments, BCB held an emergency meeting, citing security concerns, and wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) requesting alternative venues for Bangladesh’s upcoming T20 World Cup matches instead of India. The Bangladesh government also imposed a ban on IPL broadcasts through local operators on January 5.