Rookie Khaleel sets sights on WC squad

Guwahati, October 19 

Having impressed the team management with his skillset, left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed now wants to seal his spot in the 2019 World Cup-bound Indian squad with some good performances in the upcoming series against West Indies.

Khaleel made his debut during India’s victorious Asia Cup campaign in Dubai and his ability to swing the ball at a fair pace impressed one and all. With 18 games left before India’s World Cup opener against South Africa on June 5, Khaleel has his priorities in place. 

“It’s a good preparation for me for the World Cup. I want to take as many wickets as I can in the ODIs leading up to the World Cup. It will boost my confidence and I will be under less pressure if I am picked for the World Cup,” Khaleel said ahead of India’s first ODI against West Indies on Sunday.

Khaleel recalled how nervous he was before his debut against Hong Kong, in which he recorded impressive figures of 3/48. “I was very nervous (for my debut) as my first tournament happened to be a big tournament (Asia Cup). There was pressure. But after doing well on debut, I felt I could go further,” he said. — PTI