Pathan brothers ‘Best’ as Bhilwara Kings tame Manipal Tigers

Lucknow, Sep 18: Former India all-rounders Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan might have played a lot of cricket together for the national and state sides, but they had never featured together for the same team in franchise cricket.

On Sunday (September 18), that bit of history changed as the Pathan brothers turned out for the same team - Bhilwara Kings - in Legends League Cricket (LLC), adding another feather to the League's cap.

But that's not all, Irfan, who is also the captain of Bhilwara, joined his elder brother at the crease to facilitate his side's superb three-wicket win over the Manipal Tigers in the second game of the League that was being played at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Chasing a 154-run target, Bhilwara won with two balls to spare.

Yusuf hit 44 off 28 balls, while Irfan made 15 off 13 balls. Together they shared a 29-run partnership that proved crucial in the end. The winning runs, however, came from Tino Best's bat as he made 15 not out of 7 balls, including six and two fours in the last over.

Earlier, it was Best's former West Indies teammate, Fidel Edwards, who starred with the ball for Bhilwara, even as the Manipal Tigers' Mohammad Kaif played a sparkling knock in the face of adversity. It was Kaif's well-made half-century that helped the Tigers post 153/7 in 20 overs after the early jitters they received from Edwards.