Yusuf Pathun becomes India's latest cricketer-turned-parliamentarian

One of the internationally-known winners in Tuesday's vote counting in India is a political novice running for office for the first time. 

Yusuf Pathun won his seat in the Baharampur constituency in West Bengal, running for the All India Trinamool Congress party, which is particularly strong in that state. 

He was a surprise nomination by the state's chief minister, Mamata Banerjee. Pathun had to defeat the incumbent Ranjan Chowdhury from the Congress party — an ally within the broad INDIA opposition coalition — and the BJP's Nirmal Chandra Saha to claim the seat. 

Pathun, 41, is a retired professional cricketer, and was part of the India squads that won the 2007 World T20 trophy and the 2011 ODI cricket World Cup. 

Cricket is immensely popular in India and several prominent players have dabbled in politics. Most notably in recent years, former India captain Sachin Tendulkar took a seat in parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's parliament, in 2012 shortly before announcing his retirment from the sport. 

Tendulkar's period in parliament was not an entirely happy one, with his low attendance rate and lack of participation in debates frequently criticized. He left in 2018 after one term. 

Other Indian cricketers to try their hands in politics in recent years include Mohammad Azharuddin (Congress), Gautam Gambhir (BJP) and Navjoy Singh Sidhu (first BJP, then Congress).