The only bowler to take a hat-trick in the first over of a Test match, Irfan Pathan was touted as the next Kapil Dev, thanks to his exploits with both bat and ball for India.

However, injuries and form resulted in Irfan getting dropped from the team and since then, it has been an uphill battle for the left arm pacer to get back into the game. Irfan decided to go the Ranji Trophy route, but was dropped from his Ranji team Baroda, two matches into the 2017-18 seasons.

Pathan was unceremoniously dropped from the team, after he was stripped of his captaincy and Deepak Hooda was made captain of the team for the remainder of the tournament. Baroda had lost their opening game against Madhya Pradesh and had conceded first innings lead to Andhra in their next match.

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“I am puzzled! This is happening for the last three years. I am trying to find an answer within myself without asking anyone. I am not the kind of guy who will run around to ask what’s wrong,” Pathan, 33, told Hindustan Times.

“(If my) performance is not there, no issues. But I just scored 80 runs batting at No.6, got wickets. The ball is coming out really well, I am fit, then why drop me?” he said.

Irfan scored 80 at no.6 against MP and took a total of 2 wickets in two games.

“They (Baroda Cricket Association) even had a big press conference and said I am the team’s mentor and captain for the season and that I will help develop the players. Things can’t change so suddenly after just two games, can it? This can’t be a cricketing issue,” alleged Pathan.

Irfan continued, “They asked me to help the team grow. I want to build the team well so that if I go in the next 2-3 years, there shouldn’t be a lacuna. That is what I was doing over the last one-and-a-half months, mentoring each and every player.”

Pathan said that if he doesn’t get chances to show his abilities at the domestic level, he won’t be able to put forth a claim for team India return.

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“It is important to play domestic cricket and perform really well. If there is no opportunity in domestic cricket and if these things keep happening, I wonder what is going to happen. I have always fought on the field. It was going fine whether it was my bowling or fitness, but right now the situation does not look good,” said the World T20 2007 Man of the finals.