Indian pacer Khaleel Ahmed's County stint with Essex will be cut short due to the bowler returning home for personal reasons. The club issued an official statement for the same. The statement, which was uploaded on the Essex website, is fully in support of Khaleel's decision and is grateful for his contributions during the stint in the ongoing season.
Essex County have wished him all the best for the future and hopes to see him in action in the coming seasons. The pacer, who is yet to make his Test debut for India, is a left-hand pacer who predominantly swings the ball both ways, as many left-arm pacers do. Khaleel has played 22 first-class matches, taking 60 wickets, and is always in the reckoning to be selected for the national side due to his good numbers in domestic cricket.
In the current County season with Essex, the pacer played two games and picked up four wickets. The left-arm bowler also played for India A against England Lions, picking up four wickets. Currently, no one knows the reason for the pacer leaving the County mid-way.
Khaleel Ahmed - a promising pacer yet to prove his mettle at the international level
Speaking about Khaleel, he is yet to be a regular member of the Indian squads in all formats of the game. He has made his debut in the white-ball formats, playing 11 ODIs and 18 T20Is. He last featured in an ODI in 2019 against West Indies, while his last T20I appearance came in 2024 against Sri Lanka.
In the IPL, he played for CSK this season, managing to take 15 wickets, averaging 29 in 14 games he turned for the Yellow Army. He was very effective in power play, giving CSK good starts in the power play.
Also read: IND vs ENG 2025: Ben Stokes, Gautam Gambhir Have Their Say On Injury Replacements
