He was bought by CSK for INR 4.8 crore at the auction.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed was endorsed by former India cricketer Ravi Shastri for a spot in the Indian team.
Khaleel, who was bought by CSK in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction for INR 4.8 crore, has been extremely impressive with both the new ball and in the end.
He took three wickets in the opening game of the season against the Mumbai Indians. Khaleel made a solid start once again in the ongoing match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He troubled the star India batter Virat Kohli with his left-arm pace.
Heaping plaudits while speaking on air, Shastri backed the underrated CSK star. He asked the national selectors to keep him in the reckoning.
The former Indian coach said, “I feel Khaleel Ahmed should be in the thoughts of the Indian selectors.”
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In 2018, the Rajasthan fast bowler emerged as a promising talent after making his ODI and T20I debuts. However, the 27-year-old fell out of contention for national selection for more than five years before reigniting his chances once again with strong performances in domestic cricket.
His impressive haul of nine wickets in two matches during the 2024 Duleep Trophy earned him a spot on India’s shadow tour of Australia. He claimed two wickets in an unofficial Test.
Prior to that, he was a part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad in the West Indies and the USA as a travelling reserve.
If Khaleel manages to have a fruitful IPL 2025 campaign, he will make a strong case for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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