Former Team India all-rounder turns 40: BCCI wishes Yusuf Pathan on his special day

Former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan turned 40 on Thursday. This right-handed player is widely regarded as one of the country's hardest hitting cricketers, both in domestic and international competition. During his playing days, Yusuf had given nightmares to some of the leading bowlers and also achieved some remarkable feats by wielding the willow—in an aesthetically pleasing manner at times. Meanwhile, he also outsmarted leading batters with his bowling and got crucial wickets for his team.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sent birthday wishes to Yusuf Pathan.




Yusuf Pathan was born on November 17, 1982, in a Gujarati Pathan family in Vadodara, Gujarat. He began playing first-class cricket in 2001 and made his international debut in 2007 after being named to the Indian squad for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship, which was held in South Africa in September 2007. He made his Twenty20 international debut in the final against Pakistan. He opened the batting for India in that match, and scored 15 runs. His younger brother, Irfan Pathan, was also an Indian cricketer. Yusuf Pathan retired from all forms of cricket in February 2021.

Yusuf played his first ODI match for India on June 10, 2008, against Pakistan in Dhaka and got out cheaply, as he managed to score only three runs in 12 balls. He played his last ODI match against Pakistan on March 18, 2012, in Dhaka. Though, Pathan played only one Test for India, he carved a niche for himself as a specialist in T20 cricket and produced some brilliant performances during his stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL).