SWING MEISTER
To Khaleel Ahmed goes the credit of putting Tonk on the map. Till the left-arm medium pacer made his ODI debut for the senior team in September 2018 and T-20 in November, the only erstwhile Muslim princely state in Rajasthan was best known for the dilapidated Sunehri Haveli. More recently, the Congress party’s Sachin Pilot, the new deputy chief minister, won his maiden assembly poll from here. Tonk is not where you go to become a sportsman, the infrastructure is hardly conducive. It explains why Khaleel’s father, Khurshid, a compounder with the state health department, thought cricket was not a career option for his youngest child who spent the better part of his childhood bowling away in its narrow lanes. Even at home, practising his bowling action in front of the mirror was a regular routine. Despite limited resources, Khurshid supported his son’s passion, albeit only the bowling part. “I would say, ‘You are a bowler, why do you want to bat?’” recalls his father. Khaleel’s uncle, Syed Niyaz Ahmed, a regional manager with ICICI Bank, finally got him his first bat.
Still it took coach Imityaj Ali Khan’s interven- tion to convince Khurshid of his son’s potential and get his consent to take him to Jaipur for training. Khaleel made optimum use of the opportunity. In 2011, he made his under-14 debut for Rajasthan, and his ability to deliver bouncers at will and swing the ball eventually earned him a spot in the Under-19 side for the 2016 World Cup where India were the losing finalists. His impressive performance with India A quickly earned him a spot with the men in blue. Good fortune has followed too. IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad paid Rs 3 crore to avail his services for the current season.
Rising to the senior team has helped Ahmed keep his emotions in check, feels Khurshid. “He has matured, enough so to keep himself motivated even when he is not included in the starting 11 in international matches,” says Ahmed Sr. Just don’t expect him to curb his enthusiasm when he appeals or takes a wicket. The umpires may not approve but the cricket-loving nation is happy to root for a player who is hungry to win.
“He’s a very promising talent but needs to keep working hard to develop into a match-winner” Zaheer Khan