Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Khaleel Ahmed shared an important piece of advice he received from MS Dhoni when he sought guidance on his role ahead of the 2025 IPL season. The left-arm bowler revealed that the former CSK captain encouraged him to focus on improving his inswinging deliveries.
Khaleel was bought by the franchise for ₹4.80 crore in the 2025 IPL auction and soon became their key bowler in the powerplay. The 27-year-old justified the faith by taking 15 wickets in 14 matches at an average below 30. Reflecting on his experience of playing under Dhoni, Khaleel told Revsportz:
“It is an absolute honor. He (Dhoni) was there during the preparatory camp, 25 days before the start of the IPL and I went to him to personally get clarity on how I see myself in the team so he gave me tips on how I can improve my skills and asked me to practice my in-swinger. I did that continuously for 20 straight days as per his instruction.”
He further added:
“And playing with him is like — he lets me make my own decisions on the ground. At times when I have approached him asking if I can bowl a certain way in a certain situation, he has shown that confidence in me and let me play my own game. And then no matter the result, his reaction has remained the same.”
Khaleel also shared how MS Dhoni boosted his confidence with his wicketkeeping, stating:
“Also, him being the wicketkeeper, witnessing so many angles and types of balls from behind the wicket, showing confidence in my choice of bowling style, has made me feel like I too have the capability of deciding what’s right and what’s wrong on the ground.”
“I Believe I Deserve A Spot In The Indian Team” – Khaleel Ahmed
Khaleel Ahmed believes his strong IPL performances make him worthy of a regular spot in India’s limited-overs sides. The left-arm pacer bagged 15 wickets in the 2025 season for CSK, following up on his 17-wicket haul the previous year with Delhi Capitals (DC).
“Talking about white-ball cricket, the IPL is a tough competition, even in the foreigners quota, the top ones play so If I am able to bowl dot balls on the flat Chennai pitch then I believe I have the ability to represent India.”
“If I can make my name shine and prove myself on those wickets as a domestic player, competing against foreigners who represent their countries, then I believe I deserve to play for India,” said Khaleel (via the aforementioned source).
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