"Thought Went To Phil Hughes": Irfan Pathan Defends 'Bodyline' Take On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Irfan Pathan had expressed his concerns over the way Sooryavanshi was targeted with bodyline bowling by the Gujarat Titans pacers.
- Irfan Pathan expressed concern over how Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was targeted with bodyline bowling
- Irfan insisted that seeing the teenager targeted reminded him of the late Phillip Hughes
- "Seeing him hit on the head made me worried and my thought went to Phillip Hughes," said Irfan
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan has made an explosive remark after his social media post on teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi went viral during the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 on Friday. Taking to X, Irfan expressed his concerns over the way Sooryavanshi was targeted with bodyline bowling by the Gujarat Titans pacers. "Bodyline bowling to stop 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi doesn't fit well with me. I know he is playing against the big boys but the father in me doesn't agree with that," Pathan wrote in a post on X.
While his remark drew mixed reviews from fans, Irfan has doubled down on his stance, saying that he was genuinely worried for Sooryavanshi as seeing the teenager bat reminded him of the late Phillip Hughes.
"Watching Vaibhav Sooryavanshi bat is like watching my son bat. Seeing him hit on the head made me worried and my thought went to Phillip Hughes. Of course, if you play at this level you will be tested. Nothing wrong in that. Teams will plan against him. Sure. I can only wish well for this marvellous young kid. IT DOESNT FIT WELL WITH ME. (That was a clear msg)," Irfan posted on Saturday.
For context, former Australia batter Hughes died at the age of 25 just days after being hit near the ear by Sean Abbott's delivery while batting for South Australia against his former team, New South Wales, in a Sheffield Shield match.
During a recent interaction, Irfan said Sooryavanshi is ready for international cricket after proving himself against top-quality bowlers in the IPL. Pathan highlighted his success against world-class names such as Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Mohammed Siraj in the IPL.
"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is ready to play for India. He has proven his doubters wrong by performing consistently against the best bowlers in the IPL. He has faced and scored runs for fun against Pat Cummins, a World Cup-winning captain. He has taken international bowlers like Lasith Malinga, Josh Hazlewood, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Mohammed Siraj to the cleaners. These are not just names; these are world-class bowlers who have troubled top batters globally. He has passed the test in the best T20 cricket league," Pathan said.
Rajasthan Royals
Gujarat Titans
Irfan Pathan