Ashish Nehra praises Khaleel Ahmed also sees MS Dhoni playing the World Cup

India defeated Windies 3-1 in the just-concluded ODI series after blowing them away in the final two games. The fifth match was over inside 50-overs after Windies were bowled out for a paltry 104 and India won the game inside 15 overs. Former left-arm India pacer Ashish Nehra is clearly impressed with young pacer Khaleel Ahmed‘s show in the series.

The 20-year-old left-arm seamer, who is being named the ‘Tonk Express’ after his place of origin, took five wickets in the final two matches to end up with seven scalps from four games of the series. It was Khaleel’s first bilateral series after he made his debut in Asia Cup in the UAE in September.

Khaleel important for slot No.3, 4

Talking to Cricketnext after the fifth match in Trivandrum, Nehra said he thought Khaleel had an impressive performance in the series. “India is in search of not only a left-arm fast bowler but also the slot No. 3 and 4. World Cup is still very far ahead, six-seven months. But you still need a good set of four-five fast bowlers the way India has five-six bowlers for Test cricket… What if Bhuvi and Bumrah get injured? Then, good to someone like Khaleel,” Nehra, who quit international cricket in November last year with 235 wickets, said.

When asked whether Mahendra Singh Dhoni can play the World Cup next year, Nehra said whatever the veteran wicketkeeper does is news.

“There is Rishabh Pant, there is Dinesh Karthik who have done reasonably well. But MS Dhoni is MS Dhoni. Nobody comes close to him not only as a cricketer… the kind of aura he has; he is a big help to somebody like Chahal, Kuldeep, so be it any bowler, even Jasprit Bumrah and most importantly to Virat Kohli,” the 39-year-old said.

Nehra said Dhoni though did not do well in Asia Cup and the recent series against Windies, but he is sure the 37-year-old will come back and do well in Australia. He said if Dhoni wants to play, he will work hard and play in the World Cup.

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