The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway from Friday, with MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings locking horns with defending champions Gujarat Titans in the final. However, fans have already started enjoying the festivities with many thronging the stadiums to watch their favourite stars gear up for the lucrative T20 tournament.
Despite India being a cricket mad nation, every aspiring cricketer has to face their own share of struggles. Be it Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, even the best had to grind hard behind the scenes before hitting jackpot.
India and Delhi Capitals quick Khaleel Ahmed too has a similar story. The pacer, who has represented India in 11 ODIs and 14 T20Is, gave a peek into his personal journey, narrating stories from the past when he was just a kid in Rajasthan's Tonk district. During the session, Khaleel also shared incidents of getting thrashed with a belt by his father for neglecting studies and playing cricket.
"I have three older sisters, and my father was a compounder in the Tonk district. So when father used to go for his job, I had to do house chores like get the groceries, milk. However, I used to go to play in between, which meant that household work would remain incomplete.
{{/usCountry}}"I have three older sisters, and my father was a compounder in the Tonk district. So when father used to go for his job, I had to do house chores like get the groceries, milk. However, I used to go to play in between, which meant that household work would remain incomplete.
{{/usCountry}}“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 belt too, which would leave marks on my body. My sisters would treat those wounds at night,” Khaleel recalled during an interaction with Aakash Chopra on Jio Cinema.
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Khaleel then added that the support from his father eventually came once he started taking strides in the sport.
"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 don'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.
“The shift happened when I was selected to represent Rajasthan in U-14. 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,” the Delhi Capitals pacers added.
Khaleel had scalped 16 wickets from 10 matches in the previous season. Following the rich outing in IPL, Khaleel played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but was forced to sit out during the Ranji Trophy due to an injury.
He will hope for an even better outing in the IPL this time around. With the World Cup approaching and Jasprit Bumrah's comeback remaining uncertain, the cash-rich league will act as an audition for many pacers.