Yusuf Pathan, who previously played International cricket for India, has turned towards politics as he will contest in the Lok Sabha elections from Baharampur (in West Bengal) as a candidate of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Pathan will face off against Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (a prominent Indian Congress leader) in the first election he’s contesting. The battle between these two candidates is expected to be one of the most high profile in West Bengal.
Yusuf Pathan was born on November 17, 1982 in Vadodara, Gujarat, and became famous for being a powerful all-rounder who could hit the ball very hard as well as breaking up partnerships through bowling. He contributed to India’s victory in both the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup and the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup. During his domestic career, he played for Baroda, and in the IPL he played for many franchises including KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Pathan is recognised as someone who has won many games.
Since retiring from cricket, Yusuf has spent some of his energy toward social and community actions prior to officially entering politics with his candidacy ahead of the 2024 general elections. His transition into a career in public service, after having previously played professional sports, is a very large change for him and will mark an important milestone in his life since he has no previous experience in the electoral process or any type of legislative body.
The Baharampur constituency in West Bengal is located in the Murshidabad district and has historically been dominated by the Indian Congress due to Mr. Chowdhury’s presence there since 1999.