Who is Irfan Pathan? Know About His Relationships, Family, Career, Stats and More

Irfan Pathan is regarded as one of India's finest left-arm seamers. The Baroda-born cricketer was the first Indian pacer to take a hat-trick in Test cricket. He achieved this milestone against Pakistan in the 3rd Test at Karachi on January 29, 2006. Irfan Pathan became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the opening over of a Test match. This record is still etched beside Irfan Pathan's name, and no bowler has ever achieved this record in modern-day cricket.

Irfan Pathan could swing the ball both ways, creating problems for the best batters in world cricket. His left-arm angle made him more lethal across every format of the game. The left-arm seamer started his career at a very young age and went on to win the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 for the Men in Blue. In this article, we delve into further details of Irfan Pathan personal life and share additional facts.

Irfan Pathan Biography

Irfan Pathan was born on October 27, 1984, in Baroda, Gujarat. Pathan moved to the Under-14 Baroda cricket squad under the guidance of former Indian captain Datta Gaekwad before being picked at the Under-15 level to represent Baroda in a national competition. In late 2003, he was named to India's national squad for the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series in Australia, following his outstanding exploits in age-group cricket.

In the same series in 2004, he made his ODI debut against the Kangaroos, and Irfan Pathan was the leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets at an average of 31. He was also a regular member of the side in the limited-overs format. Irfan Pathan best Test spell came against arch-rivals Pakistan in Karachi, where he picked a first-over hat-trick, dismissing three of the Men in Green batters; it remains the record in world cricket.

Irfan Pathan Religion & Caste

Irfan Pathan is a Muslim and hails from the Pathan (Pashtun) community, a prominent Muslim sub-group in India known for its Pashtun ancestry. During his childhood in Vadodara, Gujarat, he was raised in a Muslim household along with his elder brother Yusuf Pathan. He even faced racism while buying a house just because he belonged to another community and religion. The former India cricketer has publicly addressed religious discrimination in India.

Irfan Pathan Family

Irfan Pathan was raised in a devout Muslim household where strong family values and spiritual discipline played a key role in shaping his early life. His father, Mehmood Khan Pathan, worked as a muezzin, and his mother, Samimbanu Pathan, was a housewife who managed both her children, Yusuf and Irfan, and sacrificed a lot for them so that they could achieve the dream of becoming cricketers. Yusuf Pathan, who is the brother of Irfan, made his debut for India after his younger brother. Irfan also has a sister named Shagufta Pathan.

Irfan Pathan Father

Irfan Pathan's father's name is Mehmood Khan Pathan. He played an important role in shaping Irfan and Yusuf's lives both on and off the field. He encouraged both Irfan and Yusuf to pursue cricket, even though their family couldn’t afford luxuries like proper equipment or private coaching.

Irfan Pathan Mother

Irfan Pathan's mother's name is Samimbanu Pathan. Though much information is publicly known, we believe her influence is unmistakable in his character and values. She might have played a central role in ensuring that both Irfan and Yusuf stayed focused on playing cricket and achieved their dreams of playing for the country one day.

Irfan Pathan Brother

Yusuf Pathan is also a famous Indian cricketer, who has made a name for himself for his big-hitting skills in the limited overs format of the game. Yusuf was part of the T20 World Cup 2007 team and played the final for the Men in Blue, and he was also part of the 2011 ODI World Cup winning team. His prowess of hitting long sixes made him one of the most dangerous batters in white ball cricket for the side.

Irfan Pathan Sister

Irfan Pathan's sister's name is Shagufta Pathan. Most details about her have not been disclosed in major cricketing sources or official biographies. So once it is available to us, we will update as per the information.

Irfan Pathan Instagram

Irfan Pathan is active on Instagram with the handle @irfanpathan_official. He has around 5.8 million followers. Here he posts about match analysis and commentary shorts in which he has collaborated, behind‑the‑scenes shots in studios, travel diaries, and personal moments. He also shares photos and videos from Legends League matches, gym sessions, family moments, and moments with former teammates.

Irfan Pathan Twitter

On Twitter, Irfan Pathan engages with cricket fans by sharing match highlights, team updates, and personal analysis. Posts videos of other teammates and Team India's success as well. Here he posts mostly about the brand collaborations and has 6.7 million followers. He also shares insights into the Indian team performances as well. His Twitter handle is @IrfanPathan.

Irfan Pathan Facebook

Irfan Pathan's Facebook account is more for personal highlights, videos and pictures, and shoots for advertisements. Here he posts mostly about the legends leagues, family, and more. He has 8 million followers. Recently, he posted about the practice session of the Legends League 2025. His Facebook handle is named @IrfanPathan.

Irfan Pathan Jersey Number

Irfan Pathan used to wear the jersey number 56. He used this number for both One Day Internationals (ODIs), T20 Internationals (T20Is) and the Indian Premier League as well. There has been no specific reason to wear this jersey, but if we discover something, we will surely provide an update here.

Irfan Pathan Relationships

Irfan Pathan had a 10-year-long relationship with an Australian, Shivangi Dev. She wanted to marry him, but Irfan wanted his older brother Yusuf to marry first, so their differences grew, and they broke up in 2012. He later married Safa Baig on February 4, 2016. The couple has often been spotted together with their two sons.

Irfan Pathan Wife

Irfan Pathan wife name is Safa Baig. The couple has been married for 9 years now. They have two sons named Suleiman Khan and Imran Khan. Irfan Pathan's wife was a model based out of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The couple has an age difference of 10 years. Irfan and Safa developed a beautiful bond. They first met at an event back in 2014 and soon fell in love with each other.

Irfan Pathan Net Worth & Salary

Irfan Pathan net worth has been a staggering one as he remains one of the richest cricketers in India. From early struggles to become a successful cricketer, his journey has been inspiring for many young cricketers. Since he has retired from all forms of cricket, as per the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations, Irfan Pathan is granted a monthly pension of INR 60,000.

Irfan Pathan's net worth now comes from commentary, social media, and he also demands a hefty sum of money to endorse numerous brands. During his playing days, he used to earn a huge chunk of money from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other leagues in world cricket as well. He, as per information, has a salary of INR 35 lakh.

Irfan Pathan Career

Irfan Pathan career started with former India captain Datta Gaekwad. At the start of the 2000–01 season, Pathan was immediately back in the U-19 squad. After that, in 2003-04, he was selected in the India Emerging Players for a series of limited-overs matches against teams from Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In late 2003, he was selected for the India Under-19 team to feature in an Asian youth ODI competition in Pakistan, and he was the leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets. For his exceptional performance, which earned him a call-up to the senior India team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. After a horrifying performance in the first Test, he was dropped. He was eventually in the fourth Test in Sydney, which was Steve Waugh's last Test.

International Cricket

Irfan Pathan made in debut in Australia, and did not have the best of the Test series. The former India pacer took chances while making his ODI debut in the same year in Australia. He was the leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets at an average of 31 in his maiden ODI series.

Irfan was in and out of the team after that. His best Test spell came in Karachi against Pakistan, where he picked the first hat-trick by a pace bowler for India in the longest format of the game. It is also the record as he became the first and only cricketer to take a hat-trick in the first over of a Test match. He was also named as the Player of the Match in the T20 World Cup 2007 final, where he bowled brilliantly with figures of 3/16. He was also part of the winning squad of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

Other Leagues

Irfan Pathan has been a familiar face in the IPL. He started off his IPL career with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) back in 2008. He was there with the franchise till 2010, when he moved to the Delhi Daredevils in 2011 for another two years. In 2014, Sunrisers Hyderabad signed Irfan. He was later picked up by the Chennai Super Kings for the 2015 season. He also played in the Champions League T20 for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the 2012/13 season. Later, after retiring from international cricket, he also featured for Kandy Falcons in the Lankan Premier League, where he played for just four games.

Irfan Pathan Achievements & Awards

Irfan Pathan, once hailed as the next Wasim Akram, due to his swinging ability with the new ball. The left-arm seamer's most memorable achievements came in 2006 when he became the second Indian and the only bowler in Test history to take a hat-trick in the first over of a Test match. In 2004, Irfan Pathan was awarded the prestigious ICC Emerging Player of the Year award. This recognition came after his impressive performances early in his cricketing career. Apart from these achievements, he has gained a lot of Player of the Match awards in crucial matches for India.