Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has found himself at the centre of an online storm after questioning Gujarat Titans’ approach towards Rajasthan Royals’ opening batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the Indian Premier League 2026 Qualifier 2. The 15-year-old had made a knock of 96, but Pathan highlighted that Gujarat’s bowling barrage—featuring short-pitched deliveries in quick succession—left little room for comfort at the crease.
Why Irfan Pathan objected to Gujarat’s short-ball plan
- In Qualifier 2, Gujarat’s pacers Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna and Jason Holder repeatedly tested Sooryavanshi with bouncers after bouncers.
- Pathan said the strategy of bodyline-style bowling did not sit well with him, describing it as something that triggered his “fatherly instincts” given the batter’s age.
- As the clip and commentary went viral, Pathan moved to clarify his position, explaining that watching such tactics brought back memories of Australia batter Phil Hughes.
- Pathan referenced a tragic incident involving Hughes, who was struck on the neck during a Sheffield Shield match on November 25, 2014, in a domestic red-ball encounter.
- Hughes later died on November 27, 2014—three days before what would have been his 26th birthday—after suffering a rare cerebral haemorrhage.
- Pathan added that seeing Sooryavanshi bat reminded him of his own son’s batting, and that a Rabada delivery which resulted in Sooryavanshi being hit on the head made him particularly concerned.
Pathan’s message on X (formerly Twitter) made his concern clear: he said that while testing a player is part of cricket at the highest level, the sight of repeated short-pitched bowling “doesn’t fit well” with him. He also stressed that teams will always plan against a batter like Sooryavanshi, wishing the youngster well despite his reservations about the method.
He had also raised the same point earlier, immediately after the Gujarat vs Rajasthan match ended. In his view, it was uncomfortable to see seasoned bowlers deliver bouncers to a youngster, even though the batter was playing against top-quality opposition.
Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 run and the Orange Cap
Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 campaign still stood out regardless of the debate around Gujarat’s tactics. He finished the season with 776 runs from 16 matches and is currently the holder of the Orange Cap. He also became the youngest batter to reach 1,000 IPL runs and the quickest Indian to the milestone, surpassing Sai Sudharsan’s previous record. In addition, he broke Chris Gayle’s mark for the most sixes in a single IPL edition.
Qualifier 2 result and what it meant for the final
In Qualifier 2, the Gujarat Titans defeated the Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to secure a place in the IPL 2026 final. That win set up a title clash for Gujarat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In the knockout match, Gujarat captain Shubman Gill played a key role with a 104-run knock, laying the foundation for his side’s victory.
