Iftikhar Ali Khan was born at Pataudi House in Delhi, into the family of the Nawabs of Pataudi, a small (137 square kilometres (53 sq mi) non-salute princely state near Delhi, located in the present-day Indian state of Haryana.

Thus, he was related to the great Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib as well as later day Pakistan prime minister, Liaqat Ali Khan.

His sister, Begum Abida Sultana's son, Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, was a cricketer and civil servant in Pakistan.

Hamidullah Khan was to have been succeeded in the titles and privileges associated with the ruling house of Bhopal by his eldest daughter Abida Sultan.

Iftikhar Ali Khan was coached at school in India by Oxford cricketer M. G. Slater and then in England by Frank Woolley.

However, his slaughter of Tich Freeman with marvellous footwork during an innings of 165 for the Gentlemen at Lord's in July 1932 gained him a place on the Ashes tour for that winter.

Upon Pataudi's refusal to take his place in a bodyline leg-side field, Jardine retorted, "I see His Highness is a conscientious objector."

Pataudi did play one further time for England and, towards the end of the 1932-33 tour, he said of Jardine: "I am told he has his good points.

"[6] 1933 was Pataudi's only full season of county cricket, and he batted marvelously, again slaughtering Freeman at Worcester and scoring two other double-hundreds.

He planned a return to play for Worcestershire for the 1952 county cricket season but died in India before he came back.

Iftikhar died at Delhi with a heart attack while playing polo on 5 January 1952,[7] also his son Mansoor Ali Khan's eleventh birthday.