Irfan Pathan Opens Up On Humble Beginnings, World Cup Glory And Representing India With Brother

Irfan Pathan was named Player of the Match in the 2007 T20 World Cup final.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan reflected on his journey as a cricketer, stressing that the opportunity to represent the country and help India win a World Cup remains the highlight of his career. Speaking at NDTV YUVA 2026, Irfan said that both he and his brother, Yusuf Pathan, were fortunate to have been given the opportunity to represent India on the global stage. While Irfan was named Player of the Match in the 2007 T20 World Cup final, Yusuf was part of the Indian team that won the ODI World Cup at home in 2011, making the Pathans one of the few sibling pairs to have won World Cups for India.

During the interaction, Irfan revealed that playing street cricket alongside boys from older age groups made him and his brother believe they could one day fulfil their dream of representing India.

"I first picked up a bat when I was seven or eight years old. Back then, I used to play cricket with my brother. The two of us would often play cricket inside a mosque, and we would be asked to leave because we were making too much noise. We then started playing cricket in our neighbourhood. It was there that we realised we could actually play the game well. The older boys, who were around 14 or 15, wanted both of us to play for their team. That gave us a lot of confidence," Irfan told NDTV's Executive Editor Sports, Gaurav Gala.

The 41-year-old reflected on their journey from playing cricket on the streets to progressing through club and state-level cricket before eventually earning India caps, adding that he and his brother were fortunate to represent the country together.

"Later, we joined the Baroda Sports Club in Vadodara and started playing there when I was around 10 years old. That's where our journey really began. Thank God that I later got the opportunity to represent India. Not just me, but my brother too. Two brothers from the same family played cricket for India and went on to win a World Cup together. For me, that journey has been nothing short of a dream.

"When you play club cricket and perform well, it gives you confidence. But when that club cricket progresses to the state level, every youngster starts dreaming bigger. You begin to believe that if you can make the transition from club cricket to state cricket, then you can go even further," he added.

Irfan revealed that he and his brother used to reach the ground an hour before the other boys, a habit that reflected their determination to one day represent India.

"I think we started dreaming of playing for India when we were around 13 or 14 years old. We were convinced that one day we would represent the country. That's why, when the other boys would reach the ground at 3 PM, we would get there by 2 PM," he recalled.

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