One of the hardest hitters in the cricketing world, Yusuf Pathan, was selected for the Under-16 team of Baroda in the 1999-2000 season of Vijay Merchant Trophy. Some eye-catching performances at age-level cricket for Baroda and West Zone led him into making his Ranji debut in the 2001-02 season, although it took him a good three to four years before becoming a regular face in the Baroda squad.

After making his name as a quick-scorer who also had the knack of bowling some handy off-spin, Yusuf earned his maiden international call up for the inaugural edition of the<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20-world-cup-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> T20 World Cup </a>in South Africa, 2007. He made his ODI debut in the following year in the Bangladesh tri-series after grabbing the spotlight in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League in 2008, where he played an instrumental role in the Rajasthan Royals’ triumph by scoring 435 runs including four fifties at a marvelous strike-rate of 179.

At the peak of his 50-over career, Yusuf drove India to victory with a sensational, match-winning 123 against New Zealand in a chase of 316. His 105 against South Africa in Centurion gave the home side a massive scare, although it eventually ended in a losing cause. He continued to be part of India’s limited-overs squad and was a member of the team that won the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup. However, slightly fluctuating returns thereafter meant that he lost his place on the international side – he last represented India in March 2012 and hung his boots after 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is

Though his reputation has been of a limited-over wonder, Yusuf is no mug in the longer format. He never quite managed to find a break in India’s Test setup, however, at the domestic stage, Yusuf was quite a force to reckon with, and his tally of 4825 runs at 34.46 with 11 centuries, 20 half-centuries suggest just that. Add to that 201 wickets with 14 fifers and one knows why he continued to be Baroda’s regular feature.

Here is a look at Yusuf Pathan&#8217;s topmost performances in international cricket:

1. 123* off 96 vs New Zealand, 2010

Arguably the most impactful performance of Pathan’s career came under the cold, night sky of Bengaluru during the 4th ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand. After being put in, the visitors were powered to 315/7 by James Franklin’s 98 and cameos from Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, and Brendon McCullum, New Zealand.

Languishing at 188/5 in the 34th over with Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Yuvraj Singh all back in the pavilion, any chance that New Zealand smelled to open their account in the series were quashed by a serious assault from Yusuf Pathan, who slammed 7 sixes and as many fours in his 96-ball 123. Well assisted by Saurabh Tiwary, with whom Pathan added a match-winning, unbeaten 133-run partnership, he guided India home with 5 balls to spare.

2. 105 off 70 vs South Africa, 2011

That it came in a losing cause does not take anything away from the sheer brilliance that Yusuf Pathan had shown at the bouncy track of Centurion. In a series equally poised on 2-2, the 5th ODI at Centurion was the decider. In stark contrast to South Africa’s centurion of the match – Hashim Amla – whose 116 from 132 led them to 250/9, Pathan nearly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after his side that looked blown at 119/8.

Pathan plundered 8 sixes and as many fours, taking the attack to the opposition through a 100-run ninth-wicket partnership, of which Zaheer Khan only made 13. Despite having controlled the game for the majority part, South Africa was under a mighty scare as long as his carnage lasted.

He eventually perished for 105, failing to evade a loss, however, on a day when no other batsmen from the Indian order stood up, Pathan’s rescue was the stuff of warriors.

3. 59 off 50 vs South Africa, 2011

The hitting exhibition in a losing cause was not the only moment when Yusuf Pathan forced people to pay attention to him. Unlike the Centurion pyrotechnics, Yusuf’s Cape Town bravado did not end in vain. The series in South Africa was turning out to be a game-changer for Pathan’s career, and rather deservedly, he earned a life-changing World Cup berth. A tournament that India would go on to win after 28 long years.

After Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel pushed the Indian top-order into submission, reducing them to 93/5 in a chase of 221, Yusuf Pathan turned the game on its head through some clean and characteristically aggressive hitting, stitching a crucial run-a-ball 75-run partnership with Suresh Raina for the 6th wicket.

Hitting 6 fours and three sixes in his half-century knock, he took India to 182/7 before falling to Steyn. Indian spin wizard Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan then ensured that Pathan’s hard work did not go to waste, as they took India home with 10 balls and two wickets in hand.

4. 50 off 29 vs England, 2008

After a scintillating 158-run victory at Rajkot, India came to Indore for the second ODI against England in the seven-match ODI series. It was this series where the last two ODIs, scheduled for Guwahati and Delhi, were cancelled due to the horrific and dastardly terrorist attack on the Taj Hotel, Mumbai from 26th-29th November. Although before any of that regrettable incident occurred, India had taken a 5-0 lead, the second victory of which came at the Holkar Stadium of Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

After electing to bat first on a belter, India found themselves reeling at 29/3 with Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, and Rohit Sharma courtesy of Stuart Broad’s havoc. Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir steadied India through their 134-run stand, although India lost Gambhir before losing both Yuvraj and Dhoni in quick succession.

A 29-ball 50 alongside India’s tail for Yusuf Pathan guided India to a winning total of 292/9. Out to defend the target, Yuvraj Singh 4/28 and Virender Sehwag 3/28 restricted England to 238.

5. 40 off 38 &amp; 3/58 vs West Indies, 2009

India was touring West Indies for a four-match ODI series in 2009. Having elected to bat first in the opening encounter at Kingston, India posted a mammoth target of 339/6 on the back of a spectacular century from Yuvraj Singh (131 from 102) following the half-century from Dinesh Karthik (67 from77). Chasing over 6 runs every over in 50-over games was not a common occurrence in those days, although<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-dont-have-muscles-like-you-mohammad-hafeez-reveals-the-conversation-with-chris-gayle-after-their-psl-match/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Chris Gayle</a>, Runako Morton, and Ramnaresh Sarwan kept West Indies well on track of the chase.

Having contributed 40 from 38 with the bat, Yusuf Pathan claimed the crucial wicket of Morton, who fell for 42 in the 16th over. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul took the chase into their hands and though the former was run-out, Chanderpaul threatened India en route to his 59-ball 63.

In what was the turning point of the game, Pathan accounted for his wicket to curtail West Indies’ flow. Pathan claimed his third when Jerome Taylor was trapped on the pad, dismissed lbw, and West Indies eventually fell 20 runs short.

<amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489859" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Artboard-1-80.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
One of the hardest hitters in the cricketing world, Yusuf Pathan, was selected for the Under-16 team of Baroda in the 1999-2000 season of Vijay Merchant Trophy. Some eye-catching performances at age-level cricket for Baroda and West Zone led him into making his Ranji debut in the 2001-02 season, although it took him a good three to four years before becoming a regular face in the Baroda squad.
After making his name as a quick-scorer who also had the knack of bowling some handy off-spin, Yusuf earned his maiden international call up for the inaugural edition of the<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20-world-cup-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> T20 World Cup </a>in South Africa, 2007. He made his ODI debut in the following year in the Bangladesh tri-series after grabbing the spotlight in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League in 2008, where he played an instrumental role in the Rajasthan Royals’ triumph by scoring 435 runs including four fifties at a marvelous strike-rate of 179.
At the peak of his 50-over career, Yusuf drove India to victory with a sensational, match-winning 123 against New Zealand in a chase of 316. His 105 against South Africa in Centurion gave the home side a massive scare, although it eventually ended in a losing cause. He continued to be part of India’s limited-overs squad and was a member of the team that won the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup. However, slightly fluctuating returns thereafter meant that he lost his place on the international side – he last represented India in March 2012 and hung his boots after 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is
Though his reputation has been of a limited-over wonder, Yusuf is no mug in the longer format. He never quite managed to find a break in India’s Test setup, however, at the domestic stage, Yusuf was quite a force to reckon with, and his tally of 4825 runs at 34.46 with 11 centuries, 20 half-centuries suggest just that. Add to that 201 wickets with 14 fifers and one knows why he continued to be Baroda’s regular feature.
<h3>Here is a look at Yusuf Pathan’s topmost performances in international cricket:</h3>
<h3>1. 123* off 96 vs New Zealand, 2010</h3>
<amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489906" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-Pathan-new-zealand.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Arguably the most impactful performance of Pathan’s career came under the cold, night sky of Bengaluru during the 4th ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand. After being put in, the visitors were powered to 315/7 by James Franklin’s 98 and cameos from Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, and Brendon McCullum, New Zealand.
Languishing at 188/5 in the 34th over with Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Yuvraj Singh all back in the pavilion, any chance that New Zealand smelled to open their account in the series were quashed by a serious assault from Yusuf Pathan, who slammed 7 sixes and as many fours in his 96-ball 123. Well assisted by Saurabh Tiwary, with whom Pathan added a match-winning, unbeaten 133-run partnership, he guided India home with 5 balls to spare.
<h3>2. 105 off 70 vs South Africa, 2011</h3>
<amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489907" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-pathan-south-africa.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
That it came in a losing cause does not take anything away from the sheer brilliance that Yusuf Pathan had shown at the bouncy track of Centurion. In a series equally poised on 2-2, the 5th ODI at Centurion was the decider. In stark contrast to South Africa’s centurion of the match – Hashim Amla – whose 116 from 132 led them to 250/9, Pathan nearly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after his side that looked blown at 119/8.
Pathan plundered 8 sixes and as many fours, taking the attack to the opposition through a 100-run ninth-wicket partnership, of which Zaheer Khan only made 13. Despite having controlled the game for the majority part, South Africa was under a mighty scare as long as his carnage lasted.
He eventually perished for 105, failing to evade a loss, however, on a day when no other batsmen from the Indian order stood up, Pathan’s rescue was the stuff of warriors.
<h3>3. 59 off 50 vs South Africa, 2011</h3>
<amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489908" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-Pathan-south-africa-2.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
The hitting exhibition in a losing cause was not the only moment when Yusuf Pathan forced people to pay attention to him. Unlike the Centurion pyrotechnics, Yusuf’s Cape Town bravado did not end in vain. The series in South Africa was turning out to be a game-changer for Pathan’s career, and rather deservedly, he earned a life-changing World Cup berth. A tournament that India would go on to win after 28 long years.
After Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel pushed the Indian top-order into submission, reducing them to 93/5 in a chase of 221, Yusuf Pathan turned the game on its head through some clean and characteristically aggressive hitting, stitching a crucial run-a-ball 75-run partnership with Suresh Raina for the 6th wicket.
Hitting 6 fours and three sixes in his half-century knock, he took India to 182/7 before falling to Steyn. Indian spin wizard Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan then ensured that Pathan’s hard work did not go to waste, as they took India home with 10 balls and two wickets in hand.
<h3>4. 50 off 29 vs England, 2008</h3>
<amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489905" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-Pathan-England.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
After a scintillating 158-run victory at Rajkot, India came to Indore for the second ODI against England in the seven-match ODI series. It was this series where the last two ODIs, scheduled for Guwahati and Delhi, were cancelled due to the horrific and dastardly terrorist attack on the Taj Hotel, Mumbai from 26th-29th November. Although before any of that regrettable incident occurred, India had taken a 5-0 lead, the second victory of which came at the Holkar Stadium of Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
After electing to bat first on a belter, India found themselves reeling at 29/3 with Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, and Rohit Sharma courtesy of Stuart Broad’s havoc. Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir steadied India through their 134-run stand, although India lost Gambhir before losing both Yuvraj and Dhoni in quick succession.
A 29-ball 50 alongside India’s tail for Yusuf Pathan guided India to a winning total of 292/9. Out to defend the target, Yuvraj Singh 4/28 and Virender Sehwag 3/28 restricted England to 238.
<h3>5. 40 off 38 &amp; 3/58 vs West Indies, 2009</h3>
<amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489925" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-Pathan-Retirement-2.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
India was touring West Indies for a four-match ODI series in 2009. Having elected to bat first in the opening encounter at Kingston, India posted a mammoth target of 339/6 on the back of a spectacular century from Yuvraj Singh (131 from 102) following the half-century from Dinesh Karthik (67 from77). Chasing over 6 runs every over in 50-over games was not a common occurrence in those days, although<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-dont-have-muscles-like-you-mohammad-hafeez-reveals-the-conversation-with-chris-gayle-after-their-psl-match/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Chris Gayle</a>, Runako Morton, and Ramnaresh Sarwan kept West Indies well on track of the chase.
Having contributed 40 from 38 with the bat, Yusuf Pathan claimed the crucial wicket of Morton, who fell for 42 in the 16th over. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul took the chase into their hands and though the former was run-out, Chanderpaul threatened India en route to his 59-ball 63.
In what was the turning point of the game, Pathan accounted for his wicket to curtail West Indies’ flow. Pathan claimed his third when Jerome Taylor was trapped on the pad, dismissed lbw, and West Indies eventually fell 20 runs short.

<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489859" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Artboard-1-80.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px">
One of the hardest hitters in the cricketing world, Yusuf Pathan, was selected for the Under-16 team of Baroda in the 1999-2000 season of Vijay Merchant Trophy. Some eye-catching performances at age-level cricket for Baroda and West Zone led him into making his Ranji debut in the 2001-02 season, although it took him a good three to four years before becoming a regular face in the Baroda squad.
After making his name as a quick-scorer who also had the knack of bowling some handy off-spin, Yusuf earned his maiden international call up for the inaugural edition of the<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20-world-cup-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> T20 World Cup </a>in South Africa, 2007. He made his ODI debut in the following year in the Bangladesh tri-series after grabbing the spotlight in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League in 2008, where he played an instrumental role in the Rajasthan Royals’ triumph by scoring 435 runs including four fifties at a marvelous strike-rate of 179.
At the peak of his 50-over career, Yusuf drove India to victory with a sensational, match-winning 123 against New Zealand in a chase of 316. His 105 against South Africa in Centurion gave the home side a massive scare, although it eventually ended in a losing cause. He continued to be part of India’s limited-overs squad and was a member of the team that won the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup. However, slightly fluctuating returns thereafter meant that he lost his place on the international side – he last represented India in March 2012 and hung his boots after 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is
Though his reputation has been of a limited-over wonder, Yusuf is no mug in the longer format. He never quite managed to find a break in India’s Test setup, however, at the domestic stage, Yusuf was quite a force to reckon with, and his tally of 4825 runs at 34.46 with 11 centuries, 20 half-centuries suggest just that. Add to that 201 wickets with 14 fifers and one knows why he continued to be Baroda’s regular feature.
<h3>Here is a look at Yusuf Pathan&#8217;s topmost performances in international cricket:</h3>
<h3>1. 123* off 96 vs New Zealand, 2010</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489906" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-Pathan-new-zealand.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px">
Arguably the most impactful performance of Pathan’s career came under the cold, night sky of Bengaluru during the 4th ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand. After being put in, the visitors were powered to 315/7 by James Franklin’s 98 and cameos from Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, and Brendon McCullum, New Zealand.
Languishing at 188/5 in the 34th over with Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Yuvraj Singh all back in the pavilion, any chance that New Zealand smelled to open their account in the series were quashed by a serious assault from Yusuf Pathan, who slammed 7 sixes and as many fours in his 96-ball 123. Well assisted by Saurabh Tiwary, with whom Pathan added a match-winning, unbeaten 133-run partnership, he guided India home with 5 balls to spare.
<h3>2. 105 off 70 vs South Africa, 2011</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489907" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-pathan-south-africa.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px">
That it came in a losing cause does not take anything away from the sheer brilliance that Yusuf Pathan had shown at the bouncy track of Centurion. In a series equally poised on 2-2, the 5th ODI at Centurion was the decider. In stark contrast to South Africa’s centurion of the match – Hashim Amla – whose 116 from 132 led them to 250/9, Pathan nearly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after his side that looked blown at 119/8.
Pathan plundered 8 sixes and as many fours, taking the attack to the opposition through a 100-run ninth-wicket partnership, of which Zaheer Khan only made 13. Despite having controlled the game for the majority part, South Africa was under a mighty scare as long as his carnage lasted.
He eventually perished for 105, failing to evade a loss, however, on a day when no other batsmen from the Indian order stood up, Pathan’s rescue was the stuff of warriors.
<h3>3. 59 off 50 vs South Africa, 2011</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489908" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-Pathan-south-africa-2.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px">
The hitting exhibition in a losing cause was not the only moment when Yusuf Pathan forced people to pay attention to him. Unlike the Centurion pyrotechnics, Yusuf’s Cape Town bravado did not end in vain. The series in South Africa was turning out to be a game-changer for Pathan’s career, and rather deservedly, he earned a life-changing World Cup berth. A tournament that India would go on to win after 28 long years.
After Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel pushed the Indian top-order into submission, reducing them to 93/5 in a chase of 221, Yusuf Pathan turned the game on its head through some clean and characteristically aggressive hitting, stitching a crucial run-a-ball 75-run partnership with Suresh Raina for the 6th wicket.
Hitting 6 fours and three sixes in his half-century knock, he took India to 182/7 before falling to Steyn. Indian spin wizard Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan then ensured that Pathan’s hard work did not go to waste, as they took India home with 10 balls and two wickets in hand.
<h3>4. 50 off 29 vs England, 2008</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489905" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-Pathan-England.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px">
After a scintillating 158-run victory at Rajkot, India came to Indore for the second ODI against England in the seven-match ODI series. It was this series where the last two ODIs, scheduled for Guwahati and Delhi, were cancelled due to the horrific and dastardly terrorist attack on the Taj Hotel, Mumbai from 26th-29th November. Although before any of that regrettable incident occurred, India had taken a 5-0 lead, the second victory of which came at the Holkar Stadium of Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
After electing to bat first on a belter, India found themselves reeling at 29/3 with Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, and Rohit Sharma courtesy of Stuart Broad’s havoc. Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir steadied India through their 134-run stand, although India lost Gambhir before losing both Yuvraj and Dhoni in quick succession.
A 29-ball 50 alongside India’s tail for Yusuf Pathan guided India to a winning total of 292/9. Out to defend the target, Yuvraj Singh 4/28 and Virender Sehwag 3/28 restricted England to 238.
<h3>5. 40 off 38 &amp; 3/58 vs West Indies, 2009</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-489925" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-Pathan-Retirement-2.jpg" alt width="700" height="700" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px">
India was touring West Indies for a four-match ODI series in 2009. Having elected to bat first in the opening encounter at Kingston, India posted a mammoth target of 339/6 on the back of a spectacular century from Yuvraj Singh (131 from 102) following the half-century from Dinesh Karthik (67 from77). Chasing over 6 runs every over in 50-over games was not a common occurrence in those days, although<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-dont-have-muscles-like-you-mohammad-hafeez-reveals-the-conversation-with-chris-gayle-after-their-psl-match/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Chris Gayle</a>, Runako Morton, and Ramnaresh Sarwan kept West Indies well on track of the chase.
Having contributed 40 from 38 with the bat, Yusuf Pathan claimed the crucial wicket of Morton, who fell for 42 in the 16th over. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul took the chase into their hands and though the former was run-out, Chanderpaul threatened India en route to his 59-ball 63.
In what was the turning point of the game, Pathan accounted for his wicket to curtail West Indies’ flow. Pathan claimed his third when Jerome Taylor was trapped on the pad, dismissed lbw, and West Indies eventually fell 20 runs short.

Now that Yusuf Pathan has announced retirement from all forms of professional cricket, here is a look at his topmost performances in the international circuit.

5 Most impactful performances by Yusuf Pathan in International cricket

Now that Yusuf Pathan has announced retirement from all forms of professional cricket, here is a look at his topmost performances