6 Records Yusuf Pathan proudly holds in competitive cricket

The man made his international debut against Pakistan in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa and played a small but vital role in winning the title for India. Yusuf Pathan, replacing Virender Sehwag, scored 15 runs off just 8 balls while opening the innings against the arch-rivals. 12 years down the line, the Baroda all-rounder is still around having played 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is for his country.

Yusuf has also won the IPL thrice, once with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and twice with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In the 2008 IPL, he slammed 435 runs for the Royals at a swashbuckling strike-rate of 179.01 and made it to India’s ODI side in June 2008. Cut to 2019, Yusuf Pathan is still taking some breathtaking catches for Baroda and is contributing with the bat when it matters the most.

Over the years, Yusuf Pathan has stunned the cricket fans with his aggressive batting and owns some records in the game.

On his 37th birthday, here we bring you six of those records and just recall how Yusuf left his fans mesmerized with his batting:

1. Joint second-fastest first-class half-century by an Indian off 18 balls

Yusuf Pathan slammed an 18-ball half-century in the first innings against Vidarbha during the Ranji Trophy in November 2012. Coming out to bat at number six, he helped Baroda extend the lead over the opposition quickly by scoring a quick-fire 78 off just 36 deliveries.

His knock, laced with six fours and five towering maximums, helped his team to amass 514 runs and declare the innings. This knock till date is the joint second-fastest fifty by an Indian in first-class cricket. 

2. Second fastest first-class century by an Indian off 51 balls

During the 2008/09 season in the Duleep Trophy, Yusuf Pathan, playing for West Zone against Central Zone, smashed 107 runs off just 66 balls. Rather he reached the three-figure off the 51st delivery of his innings to go into the record books. It was the second-fastest first-class century by an Indian ever and is yet to be broken.

Interestingly, Yusuf stitched a partnership of 136 runs with Cheteshwar Pujara and his contribution to it was of 107 runs. Also, his blitzkrieg put the West Zone ahead in the game.

3. Joint second fastest IPL fifty in 15 balls

Yusuf Pathan’s association with the KKR has been a special one. The IPL 2014 game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad was a crucial one for them and had to chase down 161 within 15.2 overs to finish second on the points table. But KKR was struggling at 55/2 after 7.3 overs and in walked Yusuf. And the rest is history. He smacked the opposition bowlers to all parts of the ground to score the then fastest IPL fifty off just 15 balls.

Yusuf scored 72 off just 22 deliveries with five fours and as many as seven sixes as the KKR successfully chased down the total in 14.2 overs. And to add to it, they also won the IPL for the second time in the same season. Though Yusuf’s knock is not among the fastest now, he still owns the record as the one to score the second-fastest half-century in the cash-rich tournament.

4. Fastest century by an Indian in the IPL

In 2010, Yusuf Pathan was still with the Royals and he started off his season in a scintillating manner. Chasing 213 runs to win, he came out to bat with the team tottering at 40/3 in the seventh over and things worsened with the score reading 66/4 in the 10th over.

However, the force named Yusuf struck the Mumbai Indians bowlers, as the Baroda all-rounder went on to smack a 37-ball ton. Having hit nine fours and eight sixes, Yusuf, unfortunately, got run-out soon after getting to the milestone and his knock ended up being on the losing side. But it still remains in the record books as the fastest ton by an Indian in the IPL.

5. Fastest List-A ton by an Indian off 40 balls

2010 year seemed to be a special one for Yusuf Pathan. Before 37-ball ton in the IPL, he had clobbered the Maharashtra bowlers in the West Zone Vijay Hazare Trophy match in February. Chasing 231 to win, Yusuf smacked a 40-ball century to create waves through the Indian cricket and rode his team to an easy seven-wicket victory with more than 13 overs to spare. Yusuf Pathan still owns the record of hitting the fastest List-A century by an Indian even after nine years.

6. Second fastest List-A fifty by an Indian in 18 balls

2010 was certainly turning out to be a special one for Yusuf Pathan. He played for West Zone in March in the Deodhar Trophy final against Virat Kohli-led North Zone. North Zone posted 264 runs in 50 overs and seemed to be coasting to victory by reducing the opposition to 100/5 in the 22nd over. But Yusuf walked to the crease and he just turned the complexion of the game.

His whirlwind knock of 80 runs off just 39 balls gave a massive score to Kohli and Co. In the process, he also recorded the fastest fifty in the Indian List-A history then. Though Yusuf ended up on the losing side, he was the talk of the town and that knock is still the second-fastest half-century in Indian List-A history.