Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has become a hot topic on social media after criticising the Gujarat Titans' tactics against Rajasthan Royals' opening batter, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Qualifier 2. The 15-year-old might have scored 96 runs, but he was in for a real battle as the Gujarat pacers Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, and Jason Holder tested him out with bouncers after bouncers.
However, this tactic by Gujarat didn't please Irfan, who didn't take kindly to the bodyline bowling, saying his fatherly instincts worried him for the youngster. As the take went viral on social media, Pathan had to explain his stance, saying bouncers after bouncers to Sooryavanshi reminded him of how Australia batter Phil Hughes tragically lost his life during a Sheffield Shield game.
It is worth noting that on November 25, 2014, the then 25-year-old Hughes was struck on the neck during a domestic red-ball match, and this resulted in his death. Hughes passed away on November 27, three days short of his 26th birthday, due to a rare cerebral haemorrhage.
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Pathan said that when he watches Sooryavanshi bat, he's reminded of his son batting, saying that when the youngster was hit on the head by a Rabada delivery, he was reminded of Hughes.
{{/usCountry}}Pathan said that when he watches Sooryavanshi bat, he's reminded of his son batting, saying that when the youngster was hit on the head by a Rabada delivery, he was reminded of Hughes.
{{/usCountry}}“Watching Vaibhav Suryavanshi bat is like watching my son bat. Seeing him hit on head made me worried n my thought went to Philip Hughes. Ofocurse if you play at this level you will be tested. Nothing wrong in that. Teams will plan against him. Sure. I can only wish well for this marvellous young kid. IT DOESNT FIT WELL WITH ME. (That was clear msg),” Pathan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
What did Pathan say earlier?
Earlier, after the conclusion of the game between Gujarat and Rajasthan, Pathan criticised the game plan of the former, saying it doesn't sit well with him when he sees experienced pacers dishing out bouncers to a youngster.
"Body line bowling to stop 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi doesn’t fit well with me. I know he is playing against the big boys, but the father in me doesn’t agree with that,” Pathan had posted.
Speaking of Sooryavanshi, he ended his IPL 2026 campaign with 776 runs in 16 matches and is currently the holder of the Orange Cap. He became the youngest to score 1000 runs in the IPL and the fastest Indian to reach the milestone, breaking Sai Sudharsan's record. Sooryavanshi also broke Chris Gayle's record of smashing most sixes in a single IPL edition.
Speaking of Qualifier 2, the Gujarat Titans defeated the Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to enter the IPL 2026 final and setup the summit clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In the knockout game, GT captain Shubman Gill hit 104 runs to setup his team's win.