The Cricket World Cup 2019 is all set to commence from 30th May 2019. The hosts England will lock horns with South Africa in the opening match of the tournament. While India is all set to start its campaign against South Africa on 5th June 2019 and they are scheduled to play arch-rivals Pakistan on 16th June 2019 in one of the most awaited encounters of the tournament.

The selected Indian squad for the World Cup has almost all the bases covered. The squad has Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami as the fast bowling options. While all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar can also be handy with their seam bowling in English conditions.

With English pitches all set to help the seam bowlers, there could have been a case of including a left-arm seamer in the squad as well. A left-arm fast bowler is always a big asset in any team’s pace battery. Team India seemed to have an effective left-arm fast bowler in the form of Khaleel Ahmed when he made his debut against Hong Kong in Asia Cup 2018.

Here are 5 reasons why selectors have missed a trick by omitting Khaleel Ahmed from the World Cup squad

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-313533" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/01/Khaleel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-313533" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The 21-year-old lanky pacer from Tonk, Rajasthan made his ODI debut against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2018 where he had a brilliant start to his International career. Chasing a target of 286, Hong Kong had a terrific start for the opening wicket as the two openers Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan put on 174 runs for the first wicket. They were all set to create a huge upset against India. It was the match-winning spell delivered by the debutant in which he took three wickets for 48 runs that shifted the match towards India. Hong Kong eventually fell short by 26 runs.

Khaleel, being a left-arm bowler can create different angles while bowling. A right-handed batsman may find it difficult to take on a left-arm fast bowler especially in the death overs. He can bowl over the wicket and is also effective while bowling around the wicket to the right-handers. He is good at the reverse swing and has a deceptive slower ball as well.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-334893" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/04/Khaleel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-334893" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in this season of IPL, he has been at the top of his game. He has taken 19 wickets in just 9 matches with an average of 15.47. His best performance came against Delhi Capitals when he took three wickets for 30 runs. He tops the list in terms of a number of wickets taken by a Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler this season.

Khaleel came into limelight when he took 5 wickets for 30 runs against arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2016 U19 World Cup which also included the wicket of future Pakistan International player Shadab Khan. Three years down the line, he is a much-improved bowler.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-290045" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/10/Khaleel-Ahmed-1.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-290045" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Now, it is a dream for a youngster to get tips from his idol. Khaleel Ahmed got this opportunity when he spent two seasons with Zaheer Khan during his time with Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. Zaheer is the best left-arm fast bowler India has ever produced. The Mumbaikar’s tips have helped Khaleel grow as a bowler.

“I think I became a better bowler with his (Zaheer’s) advice,” the 21-year-old from Rajasthan said in an interview.

“I have spent a lot of time with Zaheer bhai during my two-year stint at the Delhi Daredevils. We played in different conditions during IPL and he always kept discussing on how to bowl at different surfaces,” he added.

Now with the likes of Trent Boult and Mitchell Starc in the opposition camps, there was a strong case to include Khaleel in the World Cup squad so as to have more variety in the Indian bowling line-up.

4. History of left-arm pacers for India in World Cups

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-277962" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Khaleel-Ahmed-1.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277962" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

India has produced many quality left-arm pacers like Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and a few more. The new kid on the block is Khaleel Ahmed who has the skills to become a very good left-arm pace bowler for India. Traditionally left-arm pacers have done really well in the World Cup history.

Chaminda Vaas took a hat-trick against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup. In the previous edition of the World Cup in 2015, Trent Boult took a five-wicket haul while Mitchell Starc in the same match took a six-wicket haul in an encounter between Australia and New Zealand.

Talking about the Indian pacers RP Singh and Irfan Pathan played a major role in India lifting the inaugural T20 title in 2007. Zaheer Khan was the highest wicket-taker for India in the 2011 World Cup held in India with 21 scalps.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-277691" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Khaleel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277691" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Khaleel Ahmed can be a very handy bowler in English conditions. He can swing the new ball at pace and is also capable of using the old ball to his advantage. Being as tall as 6’ 1” he uses his height to get more zip and bounce off the wicket. He took 7 wickets against the Windies in just four ODIs which involved a career-best figure of 3/13 in a series played in India. In the IPL 2019, he took 19 wickets and was in red-hot form.

Khaleel has played 8 ODIs for India and has taken 11 wickets with an economy rate of 5.37. He has the potential of becoming a very good left-arm bowling option for India. Selectors could have taken a calculative risk by including him in the squad for the World Cup but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Nevertheless, he is the man for the future and India would like to use his skills in future assignments.

<strong>Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League (IPL), <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-match-predictions/">Match Predictions</a>, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantasy-cricket-tips/">Fantasy Cricket Tips </a>and lots more on <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker.com</a>.</strong>

<p>The Cricket World Cup 2019 is all set to commence from 30th May 2019. The hosts England will lock horns with South Africa in the opening match of the tournament. While India is all set to start its campaign against South Africa on 5th June 2019 and they are scheduled to play arch-rivals Pakistan on 16th June 2019 in one of the most awaited encounters of the tournament.</p>
<p>The selected Indian squad for the World Cup has almost all the bases covered. The squad has Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami as the fast bowling options. While all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar can also be handy with their seam bowling in English conditions.</p>
<p>With English pitches all set to help the seam bowlers, there could have been a case of including a left-arm seamer in the squad as well. A left-arm fast bowler is always a big asset in any team’s pace battery. Team India seemed to have an effective left-arm fast bowler in the form of Khaleel Ahmed when he made his debut against Hong Kong in Asia Cup 2018.</p>
<h3>Here are 5 reasons why selectors have missed a trick by omitting Khaleel Ahmed from the World Cup squad</h3>
<h3>1. A different angle</h3>
<figure id="attachment_313533" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-313533" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-313533" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/01/Khaleel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-313533" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The 21-year-old lanky pacer from Tonk, Rajasthan made his ODI debut against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2018 where he had a brilliant start to his International career. Chasing a target of 286, Hong Kong had a terrific start for the opening wicket as the two openers Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan put on 174 runs for the first wicket. They were all set to create a huge upset against India. It was the match-winning spell delivered by the debutant in which he took three wickets for 48 runs that shifted the match towards India. Hong Kong eventually fell short by 26 runs.</p>
<p>Khaleel, being a left-arm bowler can create different angles while bowling. A right-handed batsman may find it difficult to take on a left-arm fast bowler especially in the death overs. He can bowl over the wicket and is also effective while bowling around the wicket to the right-handers. He is good at the reverse swing and has a deceptive slower ball as well.</p>
<h3>2. Decent IPL form</h3>
<figure id="attachment_334893" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-334893" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-334893" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/04/Khaleel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-334893" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in this season of IPL, he has been at the top of his game. He has taken 19 wickets in just 9 matches with an average of 15.47. His best performance came against Delhi Capitals when he took three wickets for 30 runs. He tops the list in terms of a number of wickets taken by a Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler this season.</p>
<p>Khaleel came into limelight when he took 5 wickets for 30 runs against arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2016 U19 World Cup which also included the wicket of future Pakistan International player Shadab Khan. Three years down the line, he is a much-improved bowler.</p>
<h3>3. Mentored by Zaheer Khan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_290045" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-290045" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-290045" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/10/Khaleel-Ahmed-1.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-290045" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Now, it is a dream for a youngster to get tips from his idol. Khaleel Ahmed got this opportunity when he spent two seasons with Zaheer Khan during his time with Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. Zaheer is the best left-arm fast bowler India has ever produced. The Mumbaikar’s tips have helped Khaleel grow as a bowler.</p>
<p>“I think I became a better bowler with his (Zaheer’s) advice,” the 21-year-old from Rajasthan said in an interview.</p>
<p>“I have spent a lot of time with Zaheer bhai during my two-year stint at the Delhi Daredevils. We played in different conditions during IPL and he always kept discussing on how to bowl at different surfaces,” he added.</p>
<p>Now with the likes of Trent Boult and Mitchell Starc in the opposition camps, there was a strong case to include Khaleel in the World Cup squad so as to have more variety in the Indian bowling line-up.</p>
<h3>4. History of left-arm pacers for India in World Cups</h3>
<figure id="attachment_277962" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277962" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-277962" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Khaleel-Ahmed-1.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277962" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>India has produced many quality left-arm pacers like Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and a few more. The new kid on the block is Khaleel Ahmed who has the skills to become a very good left-arm pace bowler for India. Traditionally left-arm pacers have done really well in the World Cup history.</p>
<p>Chaminda Vaas took a hat-trick against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup. In the previous edition of the World Cup in 2015, Trent Boult took a five-wicket haul while Mitchell Starc in the same match took a six-wicket haul in an encounter between Australia and New Zealand.</p>
<p>Talking about the Indian pacers RP Singh and Irfan Pathan played a major role in India lifting the inaugural T20 title in 2007. Zaheer Khan was the highest wicket-taker for India in the 2011 World Cup held in India with 21 scalps.</p>
<h3>5. Can get good bounce with his height</h3>
<figure id="attachment_277691" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277691" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-277691" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Khaleel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277691" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Khaleel Ahmed can be a very handy bowler in English conditions. He can swing the new ball at pace and is also capable of using the old ball to his advantage. Being as tall as 6’ 1” he uses his height to get more zip and bounce off the wicket. He took 7 wickets against the Windies in just four ODIs which involved a career-best figure of 3/13 in a series played in India. In the IPL 2019, he took 19 wickets and was in red-hot form.</p>
<p>Khaleel has played 8 ODIs for India and has taken 11 wickets with an economy rate of 5.37. He has the potential of becoming a very good left-arm bowling option for India. Selectors could have taken a calculative risk by including him in the squad for the World Cup but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Nevertheless, he is the man for the future and India would like to use his skills in future assignments.</p>
<h4><strong>Get the latest&nbsp;Cricket News&nbsp;and updates from the&nbsp;Indian Premier League (IPL),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-match-predictions/">Match Predictions</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantasy-cricket-tips/">Fantasy Cricket Tips&nbsp;</a>and lots more on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker.com</a>.</strong></h4>

<p>The Cricket World Cup 2019 is all set to commence from 30th May 2019. The hosts England will lock horns with South Africa in the opening match of the tournament. While India is all set to start its campaign against South Africa on 5th June 2019 and they are scheduled to play arch-rivals Pakistan on 16th June 2019 in one of the most awaited encounters of the tournament.</p>
<p>The selected Indian squad for the World Cup has almost all the bases covered. The squad has Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami as the fast bowling options. While all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar can also be handy with their seam bowling in English conditions.</p>
<p>With English pitches all set to help the seam bowlers, there could have been a case of including a left-arm seamer in the squad as well. A left-arm fast bowler is always a big asset in any team’s pace battery. Team India seemed to have an effective left-arm fast bowler in the form of Khaleel Ahmed when he made his debut against Hong Kong in Asia Cup 2018.</p>
<h3>Here are 5 reasons why selectors have missed a trick by omitting Khaleel Ahmed from the World Cup squad</h3>
<h3>1. A different angle</h3>
<figure id="attachment_313533" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-313533" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-313533" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/01/Khaleel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-313533" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The 21-year-old lanky pacer from Tonk, Rajasthan made his ODI debut against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2018 where he had a brilliant start to his International career. Chasing a target of 286, Hong Kong had a terrific start for the opening wicket as the two openers Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan put on 174 runs for the first wicket. They were all set to create a huge upset against India. It was the match-winning spell delivered by the debutant in which he took three wickets for 48 runs that shifted the match towards India. Hong Kong eventually fell short by 26 runs.</p>
<p>Khaleel, being a left-arm bowler can create different angles while bowling. A right-handed batsman may find it difficult to take on a left-arm fast bowler especially in the death overs. He can bowl over the wicket and is also effective while bowling around the wicket to the right-handers. He is good at the reverse swing and has a deceptive slower ball as well.</p>
<h3>2. Decent IPL form</h3>
<figure id="attachment_334893" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-334893" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-334893" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/04/Khaleel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-334893" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in this season of IPL, he has been at the top of his game. He has taken 19 wickets in just 9 matches with an average of 15.47. His best performance came against Delhi Capitals when he took three wickets for 30 runs. He tops the list in terms of a number of wickets taken by a Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler this season.</p>
<p>Khaleel came into limelight when he took 5 wickets for 30 runs against arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2016 U19 World Cup which also included the wicket of future Pakistan International player Shadab Khan. Three years down the line, he is a much-improved bowler.</p>
<h3>3. Mentored by Zaheer Khan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_290045" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-290045" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-290045" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/10/Khaleel-Ahmed-1.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-290045" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Now, it is a dream for a youngster to get tips from his idol. Khaleel Ahmed got this opportunity when he spent two seasons with Zaheer Khan during his time with Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. Zaheer is the best left-arm fast bowler India has ever produced. The Mumbaikar’s tips have helped Khaleel grow as a bowler.</p>
<p>“I think I became a better bowler with his (Zaheer’s) advice,” the 21-year-old from Rajasthan said in an interview.</p>
<p>“I have spent a lot of time with Zaheer bhai during my two-year stint at the Delhi Daredevils. We played in different conditions during IPL and he always kept discussing on how to bowl at different surfaces,” he added.</p>
<p>Now with the likes of Trent Boult and Mitchell Starc in the opposition camps, there was a strong case to include Khaleel in the World Cup squad so as to have more variety in the Indian bowling line-up.</p>
<h3>4. History of left-arm pacers for India in World Cups</h3>
<figure id="attachment_277962" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277962" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-277962" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Khaleel-Ahmed-1.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277962" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>India has produced many quality left-arm pacers like Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and a few more. The new kid on the block is Khaleel Ahmed who has the skills to become a very good left-arm pace bowler for India. Traditionally left-arm pacers have done really well in the World Cup history.</p>
<p>Chaminda Vaas took a hat-trick against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup. In the previous edition of the World Cup in 2015, Trent Boult took a five-wicket haul while Mitchell Starc in the same match took a six-wicket haul in an encounter between Australia and New Zealand.</p>
<p>Talking about the Indian pacers RP Singh and Irfan Pathan played a major role in India lifting the inaugural T20 title in 2007. Zaheer Khan was the highest wicket-taker for India in the 2011 World Cup held in India with 21 scalps.</p>
<h3>5. Can get good bounce with his height</h3>
<figure id="attachment_277691" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277691" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-277691" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Khaleel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="Khaleel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277691" class="wp-caption-text">Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Khaleel Ahmed can be a very handy bowler in English conditions. He can swing the new ball at pace and is also capable of using the old ball to his advantage. Being as tall as 6’ 1” he uses his height to get more zip and bounce off the wicket. He took 7 wickets against the Windies in just four ODIs which involved a career-best figure of 3/13 in a series played in India. In the IPL 2019, he took 19 wickets and was in red-hot form.</p>
<p>Khaleel has played 8 ODIs for India and has taken 11 wickets with an economy rate of 5.37. He has the potential of becoming a very good left-arm bowling option for India. Selectors could have taken a calculative risk by including him in the squad for the World Cup but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Nevertheless, he is the man for the future and India would like to use his skills in future assignments.</p>
<h4><strong>Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League (IPL), <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-match-predictions/">Match Predictions</a>, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantasy-cricket-tips/">Fantasy Cricket Tips </a>and lots more on <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker.com</a>.</strong></h4>

The 21-year-old lanky pacer from Tonk, Rajasthan made his ODI debut against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2018 where he had a brilliant start to his International career.

5 reasons why selectors missed a trick by omitting Khaleel Ahmed from the World Cup squad

Team India seemed to have an effective left-arm fast bowler in the form of Khaleel Ahmed when he made his debut against Hong Kong in Asia Cup 2018.