5 stars of IPL 2019 who have been out of form lately

5) Khaleel Ahmed

Nowadays, the Indian fast-bowling unit is getting praises from around the world. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have fulfilled the wishes of millions of fans who have been dreaming of a fearsome Indian fast-bowling attack. However, there is still some work to be done as it looks a one-dimensional attack with the absence of genuine left-arm quicks. But it can all change if Khaleel Ahmed starts to deliver on his promise.

In his few games in the Indian colors, the speedster has shown glimpses of his talent. Then in the 2019 IPL, he took his game to the next level. After missing the first few games owing to injury, Khaleel returned like a man on a mission. He picked up 19 wickets in 9 games and ended up as the team’s leading wicket-taker. Notably, his strike rate of 11 turned out to be the best of the season.

In all, he outshined some of the experienced stars of the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp. Apart from that, he changed the dynamics of the SRH bowling unit which has been dominated by right-arm quicks. Sadly, Khaleel didn’t hold onto his hot run of form for too long. When India visited the Caribbean shores for a T20I series, he was the bowling unit’s weakest link. In his 3 outings, he took only 2 wickets and leaked runs at a rate of 9.

Then in the following series against Bangladesh, he again looked clueless in pressure situations. Since then, the speedster has played the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy and a couple of India A games but hasn’t done something special. Though Hyderabad has quality replacements, they will want Ahmed to get back to his wicket-taking ways.