Khaleel Ahmed: IPL's most underrated left-arm pacer?

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 5 (ANI): Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Khaleel Ahmed continued his fine Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 with two crucial wickets against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Chepauk Stadium on Saturday.
During the clash against DC, Ahmed took 2/25 in four overs at an economy rate of 6.20, getting scalps of Jake Fraser McGurk and Sameer Rizwi. Now, in IPL 2025, Khaleel has eight wickets at an average of 15.00 and an economy rate of 7.50, with best figures of 3/29. He is the joint third-highest wicket-taker in the competition.
Statistically, Khaleel has been one of the finest bowlers in the IPL since 2019, which was his first full-fledged season. With a wicket every 16.5 balls, a rate as same as Jasprit Bumrah, he is among bowlers with the best strike rates. Among bowlers with 50-plus wickets during this period, only Andre Russell (11.5), Harshal Patel (14.8), Kagiso Rabada (15.3) and Shami (16.4) have a better strike rate.
Since IPL 2019, he is the most successful left-arm pacer and stands at number nine in wicket-taking lists since then, with 82 scalps in 60 matches at an average of 23.93. His numbers at powerplay and deaths (30 and 36 wickets respectively) are in league of Shami (45 in Powerplay and 54 at death).
During this IPL, he has got a wicket three out of four times in the first over, most by a bowler. His wickets are: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jake Fraser-McGurk. During this IPL, he has four wickets in powerplay, with a strike rate of 16.5 and an economy rate of 6.91. Though he does not have a wicket in middle-overs (overs 7-15), he has a stunning economy rate of just 4.00. At death overs (16-20), he has four wickets at a strike rate of 6.0 and his economy rate is 10.00.
Coming to the match, DC won the toss and elected to bat first. After losing Jake Fraser McGurk early, a 54-run stand between KL Rahul and Abishek Porel (33 in 20 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and KL's 56-run stand with Sameer Rizwi (20 in 15 balls, with a four and six) kept DC at a healthy run rate. KL scored his first fifty in DC colours, scoring 77 in 51 balls, with six fours and three sixes. Tristan Stubbs (24* in 12 balls, with two fours and a six) played a fiery cameo towards the end, helping DC finish at 183/6 in 20 overs.
Khaleel Ahmed (2/25) was the top bowler for CSK.
CSK was not into the match during the chase, losing their five wickets for 74. Vijay Shankar (69* in 54 balls, with five fours and a six) and MS Dhoni (30* in 26 balls, with a four and six) tried to fight it out, but the Men in Yellow fell short by 24 runs, restricted to 158/5.
Vipraj Nigam (2/27) was the standout bowler for DC. Mitchell Starc delivered a classy spell of 1/27 and Kuldeep Yadav also took 1/30 in four overs.
KL Rahul secured the 'Player of the Match' award.
With this win, DC is at the top of the points table with three wins in three games. On the other hand, with just one win and three losses, CSK has slid down to the eighth spot. (ANI)