Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed has joined the Essex side in the ongoing County Championship on an end-of-the-season deal. The news was confirmed via an official post by the Essex Cricket club across their social media handles.
The 27-year-old, who is yet to make his debut in the longest format for India, will now look to use the opportunity with Essex and push his case for a spot in the India Test squad.
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Back in 2018, he burst onto the international scene with his ODI and T20I debuts, marking himself as a rising star. However, after fading from national contention for over five years, he revived his career with standout performances in domestic cricket.
His stellar showing in the 2024 Duleep Trophy where he took nine wickets in just two matches earned him a place on India’s shadow tour of Australia last year. There, he picked up two wickets in an unofficial Test.
Earlier in 2024, he was also named a travelling reserve for India’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad in the West Indies and the USA.
Given that Khaleel was part of the India A squad on the two recent away tours implies that a series of consistent performances can might just put him in reckoning for a Test debut.
In a season where the five-time champions finished at the bottom of the points table, Khaleel Ahmed was one of the few positives for the franchise. He looked dangerous in the powerplay with the new ball and finished the season with 15 wickets from 14 games at an economy of 9.58 and an average of 29.80.
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