Yusuf Pathan, a former Indian cricketer who was instrumental in India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 Cricket World Cup triumphs, has now established himself as a major player in Indian politics.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Yusuf Pathan of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was elected as the representative for West Bengal's Baharampur constituency. In its third consecutive term at the helm, the Bharatiya Janata Party will establish a federal administration. With 240 seats, the party fell only 32 seats shy of a majority in the Lok Sabha. A total of 99 seats were won by the Congress, nearly doubling its seat total from 2019. Former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan was one of fifteen Muslim candidates to win Lok Sabha seats out of 543 that went to the polls. In Baharampur, he defeated Congress veteran Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Notably, this victory signifies the first instance of the Trinamool Congress seizing control of this seat, which was formerly seen as a bastion of the Congress party.

With a substantial majority of 85,022 votes, Pathan triumphed over his close competitors. On the other hand, Dr. Nirmal Kumar Saha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received 3,71,885 votes, Congress two-time MP Ranjan received 4,39,494 votes, and Pathan received 5,24,516 votes, according to the ECI.

The political climate of the region is about to change drastically as a result of this crushing triumph.

Following his announcement of retirement from cricket in February 2021, Pathan's move into politics has been widely observed.

His impressive performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections illustrates his strong rapport with voters and his increasing clout within the TMC.

When asked about his large entourage, Pathan told reporters during his first election rally in West Bengal. “I have a big team here. This is completely a different pitch but the asking rate is the same. The aim of my team will be the same, which is to score runs faster and win the match,” he said.