Soha shares fond memory of Tiger Pataudi’s cricket match

Soha Ali Khan has taken a trip down memory lane, fondly remembering her late father and cricketing legend,

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi

— better known to fans as

Tiger Pataudi

. The ‘Rang De Basanti' actress opened up about a memorable game, her father’s unmatched competitiveness, and how his legacy continues to inspire her.
‘He was retired by the time I was born’
Tiger Pataudi is widely remembered as one of India’s most graceful and fearless cricketers. He captained the Indian team at just 21 years of age, even after losing vision in one eye due to a car accident. He retired from international cricket in 1975 and passed away in 2011. Yet, for Soha, the realisation of her father's greatness hit much later.
“He was retired by the time I was born. I was born in 1978. When I was growing up, he was at home and my mother was the one going out to work. But I was aware and when he passed away, a lot of people reached out to me with incredible stories of how much he had achieved,” she told News18 Showsha.

The match she’ll never forget
One of Soha’s most cherished memories of her father comes from a friendly match, and it’s one she says she'll never forget. “I do remember watching him play one father-son cricket match with a bunch of 13-year-olds. He was a 350 not-out in that match. At some point, someone told him that he should get out because he was playing with children (laughs). But he adamantly said, ‘No, I’m going to keep playing’. He kept hitting six after six after six. He was really competitive,” she laughed.

‘I never trained, but I’m a good fielder’
Although the 'Tum Mile' actress never formally learnt cricket, she believes she picked up her dad’s natural sporting ability. She’s especially confident about her fielding and hand-eye coordination.
“I never trained in batting or bowling but my hand-eye coordination is excellent. I’m also a very good fielder. And I do enjoy sports even today. I play a lot of badminton, aggressively, and I enjoy it. All of us in our family like being fit and independent and so much independence comes from being physically strong and not leaning on anyone else,” she said. The love for fitness, it seems, runs in the family.
On the work front Soha Ali Khan was recently seen in in the horror sequel 'Chhorii 2', which premiered on OTT on 11 April 2025, alongside Nushrratt Bharuccha.