Delhi Capitals bowler Khaleel Ahmed had a roller-coaster emotional journey during his growing-up years before becoming a cricketer. Khaleel, who hails from Tonk, Rajasthan, had a strict father who would get angry at him since he tended to ignore household work and play cricket when he was young.
The left-arm medium-fast bowler would even get beaten up at times, and his beloved sisters would treat his wounds and try to make him understand his responsibilities.
“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.”
“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 a belt too, which left marks on my body. My sisters would treat those wounds at night,” he told Aakash Chopra on Jio Cinema.
“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 didn’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.”
Despite his promising start, Khaleel has struggled to cement his place in the Indian national cricket team due to inconsistent performances, but he remains a talented bowler with potential.
Talking about the break in his career, he 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.”
Khaleel Ahmed will be seen in action in the upcoming IPL 2023.
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