Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has opened up about a fiery on-field confrontation with Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara during the 2005 Test series between India and Sri Lanka. The incident took place during the second Test in Delhi, where Pathan was unexpectedly promoted to open the batting in India’s second innings. Pathan recalled that tensions had already risen in the Sri Lankan camp after a change in the box of match balls.
According to the former Indian cricketer, the visitors were unhappy with the situation, with Sangakkara being particularly vocal about it. Irfan Pathan, however, was unaware of the issue when he walked out to bat. He then added to Sri Lanka’s frustration by taking on legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, hitting him for two sixes with the new ball.
The left-hander revealed that Kumar Sangakkara subsequently confronted him verbally, with the exchange eventually becoming personal. “There was a Test match in Delhi. I opened and made 93. After the first innings, when we went to bowl, the box of balls had changed or something like that happened, and Sri Lankan players were not happy. Sangakkara was the most vocal of all,” Pathan said on Cheeky Singles.
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He explained that he had no idea about the controversy before being sent out to open. After striking Muralitharan for two sixes, however, Sangakkara allegedly accused the Indian team of cheating, leading Pathan to respond. “He went personal, and I also answered back. He started it,” Pathan recalled.
Despite the heated exchange, the incident did not leave a lasting mark on their relationship. Several years later, Pathan and Sangakkara became teammates in the IPL after both were picked by Kings XI Punjab, now Punjab Kings, during the inaugural auction in 2008.
Irfan Pathan admitted that seeing Kumar Sangakkara as his new teammate initially made things awkward, particularly when he found himself spending time with the Sri Lankan’s family. Eventually, Pathan decided to address the past incident directly. “I went and told him sorry. He also apologised, and then we became good friends. Emotions are high, and you always make mistakes. It matters how maturely you handle things,” Pathan said.
Pathan scored an impressive 93 off 143 balls in that Delhi Test, narrowly missing out on a memorable century. Meanwhile, former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara shared another fascinating IPL story involving West Indies powerhouse Chris Gayle. Pujara recalled being stunned by the unusually heavy bat used by Gayle during their time together at Kolkata Knight Riders around the 2009-10 season.
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According to Pujara, most bats weighed around 1,150- 1,200 grams, while Gayle’s bat was close to 1,400 grams. Pujara said he could barely lift it but still tried playing a shot with it.
He joked that if he had the strength to use Gayle’s bat, he would probably have attempted to hit every delivery for six. Pujara and Gayle remained teammates at KKR until 2010 before joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru together from 2011 to 2013. Pujara later moved to Punjab Kings in 2014, adding another chapter to his long IPL journey.
