MUMBAI: His team, Chennai Super Kings, might still be struggling to stay in contention for the playoff but this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is turning out to be special for the left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed. The 27-year-old from Tonk, Rajasthan was bought for `4.8 crore by the five-time champions in the mega auction. His effectiveness in the opening overs was perhaps one of the reasons for splurging that sum on him and he has reposed the faith put on him by the team management.
Till CSK’s match against Lucknow Super Giants, Ahmed has struck in the innings’ opening over four times in seven matches giving MS Dhoni-led side an early inroad. Be it the delivery that bowled MI batter Rohit Sharma through the gate or the one that sent back Delhi Capitals’ opener Jake Fraser-McGurk. The same was the fate of Yashasvi Jaiswal of Rajasthan Royals and LSG’s Aiden Markram when they faced Ahmed in the first over of the innings.
In the last edition as well, he was among the top wicket-takers in the powerplay with eight strikes in 14 innings. A regular in the league since 2018, Ahmed made his India debut in both ODIs and T20Is in the same year but lost his place in the national team soon. Despite being fast-tracked into the team due to lack of left-arm seaming options, he went out of favour due to inconsistent form and frequent injuries. Emergence of left-arm seamers like Arshdeep Singh also played a part in his long ouster from the team. He, though, made a comeback to the T20I side last year but is yet to cement his place in the team.
IPL 2025, however, can help Ahmed regain his lost place if he continues in the same vein for the remainder of the tournament. Given his situation, Ahmed knew the importance of the tournament and did a few but meaningful sessions with his childhood coach Imtiyaz Ali Khan before joining the CSK squad.
