Khaleel Ahmed poised to make county debut after signing with Essex.
Khaleel Ahmed Set to Debut for Essex in County Championship
India pacer Khaleel Ahmed is all set to make his debut for Essex, having been named in the squad for the upcoming County Championship match against Yorkshire. The left-arm speedster’s signing was confirmed by the county club on Saturday evening. The 27-year-old will remain with Essex until the end of the season, representing the team in both the County Championship and the One-Day Cup.
Khaleel recently toured England as part of the India A squad for unofficial Tests against the England Lions. In the first match at Northampton, he impressed by claiming four wickets, including those of James Rew, George Hill, Chris Woakes, and Jordan Cox.
Prior to the India A series, Khaleel featured for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2025 IPL season, taking 15 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 9.57. Khaleel has played 29 matches for India across formats—11 ODIs and 18 T20Is—making his international debut in 2018 against Hong Kong. In ODIs, he has taken 15 wickets at an economical rate of 5.81.
What did Khaleel Ahmed say about joining Essex?
Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed expressed his enthusiasm about joining Essex and is eager to make his debut for the club.
“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,” Khaleel said in an official statement. “I’m looking forward to playing at Chelmsford, meeting the loyal Essex Members and fans, and delivering performances they can be proud of,” he added.
Essex’s Director of Cricket, Chris Silverwood, highlighted the club’s admiration for Khaleel’s recent performances with India A against the England Lions, which influenced their decision to sign him for the remainder of the season. “We were impressed with his performances for India A and firmly believe he can strengthen our already very strong seam attack. 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,” Silverwood remarked.