Yusuf Pathan is an Indian former cricketer and politician from Vadodara, Gujarat. A right-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler, he played for India in limited-overs cricket between 2008 and 2012 and was a part of the Indian squads that won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. He is the elder brother of cricketer Irfan Pathan. In 2024, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Baharampur constituency in West Bengal as a candidate of the All India Trinamool Congress.
Key facts
| Full name | Yusuf Khan Pathan |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 November 1982, Vadodara, Gujarat |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm off-break |
| Role | All-rounder |
| Domestic team | Baroda |
| IPL teams | Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| International debut (T20I) | 24 September 2007 vs Pakistan, Johannesburg |
| International debut (ODI) | 2008 |
| Major honours | ICC World Twenty20 2007, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 |
| Political party | All India Trinamool Congress |
| Constituency | Baharampur, West Bengal (Lok Sabha, 2024) |
| Family | Brother of Irfan Pathan |
Early life and background
Yusuf Pathan was born on 17 November 1982 in Vadodara, Gujarat, into a modest family. His father, Mehmood Khan Pathan, served as a muezzin at a local mosque, and the family lived in quarters within the mosque premises during the brothers' early years. Both Yusuf and his younger brother Irfan trained at the Baroda Cricket Association's facilities, and Yusuf progressed through the age-group ranks of Baroda cricket.
Domestic career
Pathan made his first-class debut for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy in the 2001–02 season. Known for his ability to hit long sixes and bowl handy off-spin, he became a regular in Baroda's middle order and contributed to the team's success in domestic limited-overs competitions. He represented Baroda across formats over more than a decade and a half, retiring from all forms of cricket in February 2021.
International career
Pathan's first appearance in Indian colours came in the final of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 on 24 September 2007 against Pakistan in Johannesburg, where he opened the batting in place of an injured Virender Sehwag. India won the tournament, and Pathan thus made his international debut in a final.
He went on to play 57 One Day Internationals and 22 Twenty20 Internationals for India between 2008 and 2012. In ODIs he scored two centuries, including a rapid 123 against New Zealand at Bengaluru in 2010. His big-hitting in the lower middle order and useful off-break overs earned him the description of a finisher and a utility all-rounder. He was a member of the Indian squad that won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil.
Indian Premier League
Pathan was a prominent figure in the Indian Premier League from its first season in 2008. Playing for the Rajasthan Royals under Shane Warne, he was a key all-rounder in the side that won the inaugural IPL title. He later moved to the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011, where he was part of the squads that won the IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. He also represented the Sunrisers Hyderabad in later seasons.
Pathan holds the record for the fastest century in the IPL by an Indian batsman, scored off 37 balls for the Rajasthan Royals against the Mumbai Indians in 2010. He is one of only a few players to have scored an IPL century while batting in the lower order.
Timeline
- 1982: Born in Vadodara, Gujarat.
- 2001–02: First-class debut for Baroda.
- 2007: International debut in the ICC World Twenty20 final; India wins the title.
- 2008: Part of Rajasthan Royals' IPL-winning squad; ODI debut for India.
- 2010: Hits a 37-ball century in the IPL; scores his first ODI hundred.
- 2011: Member of India's ICC Cricket World Cup-winning squad; joins Kolkata Knight Riders.
- 2012: Wins the IPL title with Kolkata Knight Riders; plays his last international match.
- 2014: Wins a second IPL title with Kolkata Knight Riders.
- 2021: Announces retirement from all forms of cricket.
- 2024: Elected to the Lok Sabha from Baharampur on a Trinamool Congress ticket.
Political career
In March 2024, Pathan was nominated by the All India Trinamool Congress as its candidate for the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, ahead of the 2024 general election. He contested against the sitting Indian National Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a long-time political figure in the region, and won the seat to enter the 18th Lok Sabha.
Personal life
Yusuf Pathan is married to Afreen, and the couple has children. He is the elder brother of fellow India international Irfan Pathan, with whom he has played extensively at the domestic and franchise level.
Significance
Pathan is regarded as one of the most powerful hitters of his generation in Indian cricket and an early icon of Twenty20 cricket in India. His role in the inaugural IPL season, his finishing performances during India's white-ball success between 2007 and 2011, and his transition into electoral politics in 2024 mark him as a notable figure in both Indian sport and public life.