Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel Khursheed Ahmed was born in Tonk, Rajasthan. It was in his very own place that he learnt the art of bowling quick, all thanks to the tennis ball. Khaleel decided to take the sport seriously and that got him a place in the India under-19 squad for the 2016 World Cup.

Having a liking for speed and angling it across the batsman, Khaleel could only muster 3 wickets in 6 games but did enough to catch the attention of the then head coach of the colts and also of the Delhi Daredevils - Rahul Dravid. The lanky left-armer was picked up by the franchise for a meagre sum of INR 10 lakhs and he got to work with the likes of Zaheer Khan.

The learning from that edition, despite not getting a game in the IPL, helped the skiddy left-arm pacer improve his skills and add lots of variations to his bowling repertoire. After a successful 2017-18 domestic season, Khaleel was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for the eleventh edition of the IPL for a massive INR 3 crores. His base price was set at 20 lakhs INR but the numbers started shooting through the roof after Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils threw in their hats to have his services. With a stock of ever-present fast bowlers in SRH, Khaleel couldn't get as many opportunities in the 2018 edition and played only one game that ended as a wicket-less and expensive outing against KKR at the Eden Gardens.

His achievements at the domestic level, however, was enough to earn him a spot on India-A’s tour to England. He ended that tour with 15 wickets from just 9 games and caught the eyes of the selectors. It didn’t take long then for him to get called up to India's senior ODI team. Khaleel made his India-debut against Hong Kong in the 2018 Asia Cup and picked up three wickets in that game. A combination of injuries and a lack of form thereafter meant that he didn’t feature in India’s squads on a regular basis.

Khaleel’s best IPL came in 2019 when he picked up 19 wickets from just 9 outings. After two indifferent seasons, however, SRH let him go and he was picked up by the Delhi Capitals for INR 5.25 crore in the 2022 IPL Auction.

Khaleel performed decently for Delhi Capitals since the franchise picked him in 2022. In 33 games for Delhi, he has picked 42 wickets and built a reputation for himself as a new ball swing bowler and a one over death specialist. Khaleel was released ahead of the mega auctions and now finds himself a new home in CSK for IPL 2025.