Since making his India debut in the Asia Cup 2018, the pacer has featured in only 11 ODIs and 18 T20Is so far.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has backed the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seamer Khaleel Ahmed to return to the national setup and have a continued stint in the times ahead. Notably, since making his debut for India in the ACC Asia Cup 2018, the 27-year-old has featured in only 11 ODIs and 18 T20Is so far.
The former Indian all-rounder ranked the Punjab Kings (PBKS) quick, Arshdeep Singh, as the best limited-over bowler of the current national team. He opined that Khaleel also possesses all the required skill sets that might establish him as the next-best after the 26-year-old.
“Arshdeep is our No. 1 bowler in white-ball cricket and there is no doubt about it. But after Arshdeep, if we must talk about someone who has the skill, and as a left-arm fast bowler, you need a few things like the ability to bowl around the speed of 135-140 [km/h], swing the ball both ways, bowl bouncers — Khaleel ticks all these boxes and is now improving more,” he stated to RevSportz.
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Moreover, Irfan emphasised his recent stint with the CSK in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, while hoping for the player to shine for India and continue to be at his peak of form for the upcoming years. Notably, Khaleel had recently earned a call-up for the national team and played four matches against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in July 2024.
“He has improved his slow bouncer, his seam position is better, and he has improved his fitness as well. It’s all about being in the right place, at the right time, and performing in crucial situations. He had a really good season with CSK and being there as well does help. Hopefully, he’ll be able to make it really big within the next 5 to 6 years,” added Irfan.
The bowler had a stunning season in the IPL 2019 for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). After playing just one match in his debut IPL season, Khaleel went on to snare 19 wickets in nine fixtures, at an impressive economy of 8.23 in the following edition. But the seamer underperformed with just eight and five wickets in seven matches, in the IPL 2020 and IPL 2021, respectively.
However, after several injury blows and enduring a prolonged lean patch of form, Khaleel finally made a comeback for the Delhi Capitals (DC) and bagged 16 wickets in 10 matches of the IPL 2023. Since then, he has had consecutive notable seasons in the cash-rich league and also showcased a brilliant form in the latest season for the five-time champions, CSK.
Amidst the Men in Yellow’s dismal outing, Khaleel made a mark with his 15 crucial scalps in 14 group-stage matches, at an economy of 9.58. His best of the season (3/29) came against the franchise’s arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI), in their season opener of the IPL 2025. But the team may also not retain the player in a bid to form a new and strong squad for a massive turnaround in the upcoming IPL 2026, after finishing the last season at the bottom of the points table.
