Khaleel Ahmed: Fighting Injuries, Finding Confidence
Left-arm fast bowlers have always held a special place in Indian cricket. Khaleel Ahmed was once seen as the next big hope after shining in Under-19 cricket. He went on to play 11 ODIs and 18 T20Is for India; however, injuries and a dip in form led to his exclusion from the national setup.
In IPL 2025, Khaleel Ahmed made a quiet but steady return with 15 wickets in 14 matches for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). His bowling showed signs of control and maturity, even as he recovered from a hernia surgery.
Khaleel shared how the surgery forced him to start from scratch: “After the surgery, I started my journey from zero. I even had to relearn how to walk.”
With the support of mentors like Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan, Khaleel worked on seam position, swing, and red-ball skills. He focused on fitness, discipline, and the mental side of the game.
“People may forget IPL spells, but international cricket will always be remembered. I want to play for India again. I will wait for my chance, and I will achieve it.”
At just 27 years old, Khaleel Ahmed still has time to script a strong comeback. He is currently playing for the Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy and has set his eyes firmly on wearing the Indian jersey again.
CSK gets Khaleel Ahmed for 4.80 Cr
Swings in the Power Play and bowls handy cutters at the death overs, Fitness a concernpic.twitter.com/5RwLBPinZy— ICT Fan (@Delphy06) November 24, 2024
CSK’s Auction Plan: Eyes on Sanju Samson
While Khaleel is working on his international comeback, CSK is preparing for a massive rebuild after finishing last in IPL 2025. Despite MS Dhoni stepping in as captain when Ruturaj Gaikwad was injured, the team failed to find consistency.
Now, CSK is planning to bring in Sanju Samson, the Rajasthan Royals captain, in the IPL 2025 mini auction. Early talks for a trade fell through due to high demands from Rajasthan, but Samson himself is keen to join CSK. Reports suggest he may directly enter the mini auction.
With Ravichandran Ashwin announcing his retirement, CSK freed up a big chunk of their purse. By releasing underperformers like Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Jamie Overton, and possibly Rachin Ravindra, CSK could enter the auction with ₹30 crore in reserves.
This would give them the financial muscle to go all-in for Sanju Samson, possibly even up to ₹20 crore.
Breaking News –
-Sanju Samson’s trade to CSK is almost done ✅
-Ashwin + Shivam Dube likely to be traded to RR ✅
-RR wanted to Trade Ravindra Jadeja in place of Sanju , But CSK refused to give Jadeja 💛 pic.twitter.com/8VH1xmeMTy— Jayprakash MSDian™ (@ms_dhoni_077) July 15, 2025
What This Means for CSK Fans
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Khaleel Ahmed has already proven his value as a left-arm fast bowler for CSK. His growth could be crucial in balancing the bowling unit.
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Sanju Samson could solve CSK’s middle-order crisis and also serve as a long-term leadership option after Dhoni.
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With a big purse in hand, CSK has the firepower to build a strong squad around Dhoni, Gaikwad, Samson, and Khaleel.
Final Takeaway
Khaleel Ahmed’s comeback story is one of resilience, patience, and focus. His journey from surgery to IPL wickets proves his hunger to play for India again. At the same time, CSK’s bold plan to bring Sanju Samson into the team signals a fresh chapter for the franchise.
For fans, IPL 2026 already feels like it’s going to be one of the most exciting seasons yet.