'Not My Friend..'- DC's Khaleel Ahmed Opens Up On His Bond With MS Dhoni 

Abhinav Tyagi

Khaleel Ahmed and MS Dhoni- (X.com)Khaleel Ahmed and MS Dhoni- (X.com)

Delhi Capitals' star bowler Khaleel Ahmed has opened up on his return to Indian cricket and also shed light on his early days with the Indian side, where he played with MS Dhoni. 

Khaleel made his India debut in 2018 but was soon left out of the scheme of things because of his underwhelming performance. However, his efforts in the IPL in recent years helped him earn another India call as he featured against Zimbabwe in the recently concluded T20I series. 

In the latest events, Ahmed interacted with former India opener turned analyst Aakash Chopra, where he shed light on his bond with MS Dhoni. Khaleel stated that he considers Dhoni as his guru. 

"Mahi bhai is not my friend, not my elder brother, he is my guru. Since my childhood, I wanted to become the bowler who took the first over from India since I had watched Zaheer Khan growing up. In the Asia Cup, Mahi bhai asked me to bowl the first over. I ran so hard, away from the huddle thinking that if I give it time he might change his mind," Khaleel said in a conversation with Aakash Chopra on his YouTube Channel.

Khaleel's performance in IPL

Sadly for Khaleel, he made it to the news after thala smashed him for sixes when CSK faced Delhi Capitals in the IPL, but overall, Ahmed has done well and would be hoping for a retention by the franchise. 

He has taken 42 wickets in the last three seasons for Delhi Capitals.