Irfan Pathan Backs Brother Yusuf Pathan After IPL Auction Snub, Calls Him A Real Match Winner

Irfan posted a heartfelt message for his brother Yusuf Pathan after the 37-year-old failed to find a buyer at the IPL 2020 Players' Auction in Kolkata on Thursday.

Known for his big-hitting prowess and powerful strokes – Yusuf Pathan was one of the biggest names among Indian cricketers who failed to attract any buyers in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) players’ auction in Kolkata.

After being offloaded by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ahead of the auction, Yusuf categorized himself under the base price bracket of Rs 1 crore. With most franchisees opting to bid for the younger players, the 37-year-old found no takers on Thursday.

Backing his elder brother after the IPL auction snub, younger brother Irfan Pathan penned down a special message for and called him a real match-winner. “Small hiccups doesn’t define your career, you have been outstanding throughout. A real match-winner. Love you always Lala,” tweeted Irfan from his official handle.

Yusuf last played in IPL for SRH franchise in the 2018 and 2019 season. He was released by the team after two ordinary outings in the past two editions.

Small hiccups doesn’t define your career,you have been outstanding thru out. A real match winner. Love you always Lala @iamyusufpathan pic.twitter.com/h3tw3AjoGS

Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 19, 2019

Particularly in the 2019 season, Yusuf had a nightmarish outing when he featured in 10 matches, scoring a total of just 40 runs at an average of 13.33 with a high score of 16 not out.

The burly all-rounder spent a major part of his IPL career with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) between the years 2011-17 and played a key role in the franchise’s title triumphs in 2012 and 2014.

Yusuf has scored a total of 2,241 runs at a strike rate of 142.97 in IPL. Besides, he has also scalped 42 wickets having an economy of 7.40.