Khaleel Ahmed! A Gamble or Future.
Since the release of the squads for Asia cup 2018, the cricket fans got curious about one unexpected rookie, Khaleel Ahmed. Indeed, his selection into the team is mysterious. Then again, cricket is all about irony. The young Mohammad Siraj, whose stunning performance rocked the domestic circuit, and seemed to miss the selectors’ eyes yet again.
Well, the selectors didn’t play favourites. We’ll explain the reasons later, but first, an introduction is in order. Khaleel Ahmed is a 20-year-old left-hand fast bowler who hails from a little-known town called Tonk in Rajasthan. His reputation as a bowler has been steadfast since his u-19 days. His entry into first-class cricket may have been only a few months back, and stats don’t back him up either. Nonetheless, he had produced magic when the going got tough. Handling high-pressure situations time and time again has given him the ability to self-generate his variations and mature as a sportsperson.
All right, he is boy wonder. We are a cricket-loving nation with over 1 billion fans. Every neighbourhood has a boy wonder. They just never got the chance to express their skills on a platform which counted. What’s so special about Khaleel? Let’s understand as to why Khaleel got propped up to the big stage. Since the retirement of Zaheer Khan, there has been a dearth of quality left-arm fast bowlers in the Indian cricket team. Across all formats of cricket, left arm bowlers have always had the edge over their right arm counterparts. A quick left-arm bowler produces an angle to his bowling which increases the chances to lay waste to the batsman, either as LBW or through a thick edge, even if the ball is not swinging.
Moreover, if the pitch has moisture, green cover or a thin crack, it will be a boon for a left arm bowler. Remember the Ashes of last year! In the 3rd test, England batsman James Vince was riding the wave, scoring a half-century and playing hot shots. Even the toe-crusher, Mitchell Starc couldn’t deliver. So Starc changed his bowling angle to round the wicket. Vince played all of them well, except one. Starc delivered a ball with a speed of 95 mph in the good length area. The ball was expected to angle towards Vince, but it changes course midway, and it uprooted Vince’s off stick. That magic delivery is called ‘Ball of the 21st century’, a feat achieved only by Wasim Akram. Left-arm fast bowlers, eh?
These moments project a player into stardom. Though Indian bowlers did well in the ongoing series, there are some points which they still missed. When a team languishes at 6/86, with the lower order at the crease, the Indian captain should have taken a moment to change the bowling line-up to clean up the tail. However, India failed to do so and lost the series. This article isn’t meant to parade Khaleel Ahmed as the future of India or a shadow of Zaheer Khan. The report serves to support a 20-year guy at the start of his international journey. So let’s cheer for him and cheer for Team India.
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