Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, who has so far played 11 ODIs and 14 T20Is for India, made his way into the national team by proving his potential in the Indian Premier League (IPL). On the back of some impressive bowling performances in the world's richest T20 tournament, the 25-year-old Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer attained the golden chance to play for team India. However, after that, Khaleel struggled to cement his place in the national team due to inconsistent performances. The last time he played for team India was in 2019.
The talented youngster was acquired by Rishabh Pant-starrer Delhi Capitals (DC) for a whopping Rs 5.25 crore in IPL auction and will be seen in action in the upcoming 2023 season of Indian Premier League (IPL).
Ahead of the mega T20 tournament, Khaleel, who hails from Tonk, Rajasthan, revealed an interesting story from his growing days.
"I have three older sisters, and my father was a compounder in the Tonk district. So when daddy used to go to his job, I had to do things like going to buy groceries, milk, or vegetables. I used to go to play in between, which meant that household work would remain incomplete," Khaleel Ahmed said in an interaction with Aakash Chopra on Jio Cinema.
"My mother would complain about it to my father, who would look at me and ask me where I was . I used to be on the ground. He used to be very angry because I didn't study or do any work. He thrashed me with belt too, which would leave marks on my body. My sisters would treat those wounds at night."
Khaleel said his father started supporting him once he progressed a bit in cricket.
"My father was a compounder, so he wanted me to become a doctor, or do something in that field. He just wanted to ensure that I don't face any difficulties in the future. Once I progressed a bit in cricket, he started supporting me. He told me to play cricket and said his pension would take care of me if I failed to make a career out of it," Khaleel said.
"The shift happened when I was selected to represent Rajasthan in U14. I picked up around 21 wickets in four matches and also got featured in the newspapers. I gave the allowances that I got to my family, which is when they got emotionally connected after seeing these things."