Another India star decides to feature in English County after selection snub as Khaleel Ahmed signs deal with Essex

India's star pacer Khaleel Ahmed has signed a deal with Essex for the remainder of the ongoing County Championship season. Essex Cricket club officially announced the deal with Khaleel Ahmed through their social media handle.

Khaleel Ahmed joins Essex

"We are delighted to announce the signing of Indian left-arm seamer, Khaleel Ahmed, on a deal until the end of the season. Welcome Khaleel!," Essex's post read.

The left-arm fast bowler recently toured England with the India A squad, participating in two unofficial four-day Test matches against the England Lions. These matches served as preparation for the ongoing five-match Test series. Khaleel featured in the second match against the Lions and delivered a promising performance with the red ball, taking four wickets.

The 27-year-old Khaleel is yet to make his debut in Test cricket for India. He will now aim to utilise this opportunity with Essex to showcase his abilities and strengthen his case for selection in the India Test squad. Khaleel initially gained international recognition in 2018, making his debut in both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for India, and was considered a promising talent. However, after being out of national contention for over five years, he revitalized his career through impressive performances in domestic cricket. His remarkable performance in the 2024 Duleep Trophy, where he claimed nine wickets in just two matches, earned him a spot on India’s shadow tour of Australia the previous year. During that tour, he picked up two wickets in an unofficial Test match.

Earlier in 2024, Khaleel was also named as one of the travelling reserves for India’s T20 World Cup squad that participated in the tournament held in the West Indies and the USA. Considering that Khaleel has been a part of the India A squad for their two recent away tours, consistent performances in the County Championship could potentially put him in contention for a Test debut for India.

Despite Chennai Super Kings' disappointing performance in the recent IPL season, where the five-time champions finished at the bottom of the points table, Khaleel was a standout performer for the franchise. He looked threatening with the new ball during the powerplay and concluded the season with 15 wickets from 14 games, maintaining an economy rate of 9.58 and an average of 29.80.