The Chennai-based franchise roped him in for a massive 4.8 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Star pacer Khaleel Ahmed made his debut for India back in September 2018 at the age of 21. Cut to now, he has only taken part in 11 ODIs and 18 T20Is as of now, and the road for the Indian team looks difficult.
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He did make a comeback when he was added to the Indian team for the tours of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in July 2024. Khaleel got a chance to play in four T20I matches, but then it happened after five long years of waiting, and he has not played for India since then.
In the span of those five years, Khaleel missed out on the entire domestic season in 2022-23 because of hernia surgery. It was during the IPL 2023 when Khaleel made a comeback to competitive cricket.
Since 2023-24, Khaleel has started bowling well and has given a few noteworthy performances. He credited his success to former India greats, Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan.
“I had to start from zero [after surgery], including learning how to walk. Irfan bhai spent a lot of time with me. He showed me how I can keep my seam upright, and also helped me sharpen my skills. He and Zaheer bhai also advised me on how I could do well in red-ball cricket. I am fortunate and grateful to have had them available whenever I wanted to speak to them,” Khaleel told ESPNcricinfo.
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On the back of his good run, the Rajasthan-based pacer has been taking part in the Duleep Trophy, where he is playing for Central Zone. Khaleel has played 16 first-class matches during the 2023-24 domestic season.
He was also a part of the India A squad that went to Australia and England. The 27-year-old pacer also played for Essex in county cricket. During the 2023-24 season, he collected 49 wickets at an average of 26.40.
Talking about the IPL, Khaleel has been bowling well. From 2018 to 2023 IPL seasons, he has played only 43 games. Since 2024, the left-arm pacer has featured in all 28 games for Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The Chennai-based franchise roped him in for a massive 4.8 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction.
With 32 wickets at an average of 28.93 throughout this time, Khaleel is among the top ten wicket-takers in the IPL, having bowled more than 96 overs since 2024. During IPL 2025, Khaleel played in a total of 14 matches, where he scalped 15 wickets at an economy of 9.58. It would be interesting to see whether the Chennai-based franchise retains him for the IPL 2026.
