Khaleel Ahmed signs County deal with Essex: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Indian fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed has signed a contract with Essex to play in the remainder of the County Championship and the entire One-Day Cup. This will be the pacer's first-ever experience in County cricket. The two-month-long stint will run until late September and include six First-Class matches and eight List A games, which could go up to 10 if Essex reach the finals. Here's more.
Anticipation
'Excited to be part of it'
Ahmed will join the squad in York and be available for selection for the County Championship match against Yorkshire starting Sunday. "I have heard a lot about the rich history of the Club, and I'm excited to be part of it and will look to make an immediate impact," he said as per the club's website. "I'm looking forward to playing at Chelmsford, meeting the loyal Essex Members and fans, and delivering performances they can be proud of."
Strategic move
'He can strengthen our already very strong seam attack'
Essex's director of cricket Chris Silverwood is looking forward to the "new dynamic" Ahmed's left-arm pace will bring to their attack. "We were impressed with his performances for India A and firmly believe he can strengthen our already very strong seam attack," Silverwood said. "As a left-arm seamer, he offers something different and will add a new dynamic to the squad in both the One Day Cup and the County Championship."
Stats
A look at Khaleel's overall stats with the ball
Khaleel has taken 15 wickets in 11 ODIs for India at an average of 31.00. Meanwhile, he has played 18 T20Is, claiming 16 wickets at 35.12. The left-arm pacer has featured in 20 First-Class games and owns 56 wickets at an average of 27.67, as per ESPNcricinfo. In 63 List A games, he owns 92 wickets at 27.92. Lastly, he owns 159 wickets in T20s at 25.15.
Do you know?
Which Indians have signed County deals this season?
Apart from Khaleel, the likes of Ishan Kishan (Nottinghamshire), Tilak Varma (Hampshire), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Yorkshire) and Yuzvendra Chahal (Northamptonshire) are other Indians who have signed County deals.