Yusuf Pathan: From victories on cricket field to stellar political debut

Yusuf Pathan was a member of the Indian cricket team that lifted the inaugural ICC World T20 trophy in 2007 and the 2011 ICC World Cup.

Published on: Jun 4, 2024, 19:10:34 IST

By HT News Desk

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Yusuf Pathan, the swashbuckling all-rounder from Baroda, will soon be rubbing shoulders with the bigwigs in the Lok Sabha.

The 41-year-old former cricketer, who made his electoral debut on a Trinamool Congress ticket from West Bengal's Baharampur, is set to upset Congress heavyweight Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

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Pathan was a member of the Indian cricket team that lifted the inaugural ICC World T20 trophy in 2007. Less than a year later, he excelled with both bat and ball to guide Rajasthan Royals to the Indian Premier League title in the marquee tournament's first edition.

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But Pathan's laurels did not end there. He was a member of the victorious Kolkata Knight Riders team that won IPL twice in 2012 and 2014.

Despite being the elder of the two brothers, Yusuf made his international debut three years after Irfan.

Former cricketer and TMC candidate from Berhampore constituency Yusuf Pathan. (PTI file)

His ability to turn matches around with his power-hitting and crucial wickets made him a vital player for India in shorter formats as he became a member of the MS Dhoni-led batch of 2011 that lifted the ODI World Cup.

ALSO READ: TMC ahead in 30 of 42 seats in Bengal; BJP trailing in all seats it won in 2019

Cut to 2024. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee picked Pathan as a surprise pick to take on Chowdhury, who belongs to the INDIA bloc ally Congress.

Pathan said he has immense respect for the Congress leader. “I respect Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury a lot. He is a senior leader. I give my best wishes to him... I will open a sports academy to encourage children to represent the state and country... The people have given their support to me,” he was quoted by ANI as saying.

Besides Chowdhury, Yusuf had to take on BJP's Nirmal Chandra Saha, a known doctor from the region and also deal with the "outsider" barbs from the opposition.

The TMC raced ahead in 29 of West Bengal's 42 Lok Sabha seats, surprising political pundits, while the BJP struggled to reach double digits, leading in only 12 seats, and Congress won just one seat, according to the EC website.

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HT News Desk
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