Irfan Pathan (born 27 October 1984) is a former Indian cricketer, a left-arm swing bowler and capable lower-order batter. He burst on the scene at nineteen and in 2006 became the only bowler to take a hat-trick in the first over of a Test match. He was man of the match in the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup. Since retiring he has been a popular commentator. His elder brother, Yusuf Pathan, also played for India.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Irfan Khan Pathan |
| Born | 27 October 1984, Baroda (now Vadodara), Gujarat, India |
| Age | 41 |
| Role | Bowling all-rounder (left-arm fast-medium, left-hand bat) |
| International career | 2003–2012 |
| Test record | 100 wickets and 1,105 runs in 29 matches |
| ODI record | 173 wickets in 120 matches |
| Domestic teams | Baroda, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Spouse | Safa Baig (m. 2016) |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Sibling | Yusuf Pathan |
Early Life
Pathan grew up in the compound of a mosque in Vadodara, where his father was the muezzin. He and Yusuf played cricket in and around the mosque, at times annoying worshippers. He was coached by the former India captain Datta Gaekwad. At the 2003 Under-19 Asia Cup he took 9 for 16 against Bangladesh.
Career
He made his Test debut at Adelaide in December 2003. On the tour of Pakistan in 2004 his late swing helped India win Test and one-day series there, and he was named the ICC Emerging Player of the Year. On 29 January 2006 at Karachi he dismissed Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf with the fourth, fifth and sixth balls of the match.
Under the coach Greg Chappell he was promoted up the batting order and scored a Test century against Pakistan in 2007, but his bowling lost pace and swing and he was dropped. He came back for the 2007 T20 World Cup, taking 3 for 16 in the final against Pakistan in Johannesburg, and was man of the match in the Perth Test of January 2008.
Injuries limited him after 2008. He played his last international in 2012, later captained and mentored the Jammu and Kashmir team and retired in January 2020.
After Cricket
With Yusuf he runs the Cricket Academy of Pathans, with centres across India. He commentates in Hindi and English and acted in the Tamil film Cobra (2022).
Personal Life
He married Safa Baig in Mecca in 2016, and they have two sons. Yusuf Pathan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baharampur in 2024.
Major Titles
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Irfan Pathan born?
Irfan Pathan was born on 27 October 1984 in Baroda (now Vadodara), Gujarat, India and is 41 years old.
What is Irfan Pathan’s role?
Role: Bowling all-rounder (left-arm fast-medium, left-hand bat).
Featured image: Irfan Pathan (right) at a charity event, October 2016. Photo by Tumerimaitera, licensed under CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
