Saif Ali Khan remembers Tiger Pataudi at memorial lecture in Kolkata: “Tiger Pataudi was my hero”

Saif Ali Khan attended the Tiger Pataudi Memorial Lecture 2026 in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, where he spoke about his father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, also known as Tiger Pataudi. The actor reflected on his father’s approach towards cricket, leadership and life during the event. Former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham was also present at the lecture.

Speaking at the event, Saif said the world remembers Tiger Pataudi as one of India’s leading cricket captains and fielders, while he remembers him as a quiet man at home.

“I knew him respectfully as Abba, a man of very few words who somehow said everything that mattered,” Saif said during his speech.

He also recalled how cricket was always part of daily life in their home. According to Saif, everyone around them played the sport, including family members, staff and workers. He said cricket helped people connect beyond status or position.

Saif also spoke about Tiger Pataudi losing vision in one eye after a car accident at a young age. Despite the injury, he continued playing international cricket for India and later became one of the country’s youngest Test captains.

The actor said his father never treated the injury as a setback and instead adjusted himself to the situation through discipline and effort. He added that Tiger Pataudi believed leadership was based on trust and fairness instead of authority.

Saif also mentioned that his father encouraged Indian cricketers to believe they could compete and win at the international level during a period when Indian teams were often seen as underdogs.

Talking about family life, Saif said Tiger Pataudi rarely discussed his achievements at home and usually stayed away from long conversations about cricket unless somebody directly asked him.

“As I grow a little older, I realise remembering the past and honouring past heroes becomes more and more important,” Saif said.

He ended the speech by thanking people for continuing to remember Tiger Pataudi through cricket and sports discussions. Saif added that if his father were present at the event, he would probably feel uncomfortable with the attention but happy that the conversation remained focused on cricket and ideas connected to the future of the sport.

Tiger Pataudi played 46 Test matches for India and captained the national side in 40 of them. He remains one of the youngest captains in Indian cricket history.