Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan played in the IPL, but never for the same team.
Irfan Pathan smashed Yusuf Pathan for boundaries during a 2009 season match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). Yusuf then launched an attack when Irfan came out to bowl.
Irfan reminisced about a day when he was playing for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and took Yusuf's catch to get rid of him. His family then made fun of him for taking his older brother's catch.
"There was a game against Rajasthan in South Africa. I stepped up to Yusuf Bhai and hit him for a six. Then I hit a four as well. Later, when he came to bat, he was stepping out against me from the first ball. When I was playing for Delhi, and he was in KKR, there was a game in Raipur. He was in the mood to hit, and I took his catch. I was at short fine leg. The ball was going towards deep square leg, but it was very high. It was that fielder's catch, but I ran and took the catch. My family was saying, "It was not your catch; why did you go for it and take your brother's catch?" The only thing is we never played together for one team in the IPL," he said in the latest episode of 'Cheeky Singles' on JioStar.
Irfan Pathan's and Yusuf Pathan's amicable and brotherly banter extended beyond the field to their homes. Irfan believed that Yusuf received more support from his mother and sister at home as the older brother. But it was all done in a lighthearted manner.
"I always thought he (Yusuf) got more support. Dad has always been neutral. But my mom and sister say they support him more because he talks less. I say, what logic is this? They say he does not share his pain and is very quiet. But the thing is, he is the elder one, and that's why he gets a little more love at home," he said.
Irfan also revealed that he used to play rough with Yusuf when they were kids and even inflicted some serious physical damage on his brother.
"From childhood, I have hurt Yusuf, like I have broken his teeth or hand, and if you see his middle finger, there is an operation done. That finger was cut by closing the door of the bathroom. I have troubled him a lot. But that was not intentional. It was just me pulling my elder brother's leg. But does that mean you will always support him?” he added.
Yusuf Pathan had made his India debut in the 2007 T20 World Cup final, where the Men in Blue defeated Pakistan to lift the title, and Irfan Pathan was given the Player of the Final Award.