Yusuf Pathan Makes a Stunning Entry into Politics
Yusuf Pathan, the former star all-rounder of India’s World Cup-winning cricket team, has embarked on a new career in politics after retiring from cricket.
Running in the Indian national elections from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, he was elected by a significant margin.
Yusuf Pathan faced a tough contest against two formidable leaders from the Congress and BJP. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a five-time Member of Parliament from Baharampur, is a powerful figure in Baharampur politics. To capture his stronghold, the ruling party Trinamool fielded a candidate who, incidentally, hails from Vadodara in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state of Gujarat.
However, Yusuf Pathan did not falter against these tough opponents. His preparation for the ‘final match’ was remarkable. Since being announced as Trinamool’s candidate for the Lok Sabha, Yusuf has stayed continuously in Baharampur. Despite not being Bengali, he attempted to learn the language. He regularly engaged with the public in the heat and sun, making a strong connection with the voters. Ultimately, he hit a metaphorical six by stepping out boldly, winning the Baharampur seat by over 80,000 votes against Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Yusuf Pathan played 57 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 22 T20 Internationals for India. With the bat, he scored 1,046 runs, including two fifties, and with the ball, he took 46 wickets.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he won titles with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014. In the 2014 IPL, he also hit the second-fastest fifty in history, scoring it in just 15 balls