MS Dhoni insulted by Khaleel Ahmed? Pacer denies calling former captain elder brother and friend

India National Cricket Team pacer Khaleel Ahmed talked about his relationship with former captain of the MS Dhoni. He said that the keeper-batter is not his friend or elder brother but is his guru and recalled an incident in which the legend of the game gave him flowers.

The aura of the MS Dhoni in the Indian cricket is unmatchable. Being the most successful captain in the history of Indian cricket, the keeper-batter is also credited for making the careers of many players. The way he has guided many young players is the standout feature of his career.

One of the players who is among the lot of trained cricketers by MS Dhoni is left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed. The fast bowler is among one of the finest pacers in the country and is among the fast bowlers who are under the radar of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the future.

Khaleel Ahmed also made his debut under Ms Dhoni. The left-hander played his maiden ODI in the Asia Cup 2018 game against Afghanistan during the tournament when stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma missed out due to an injury and then played a decent role for his team.

Khaleel Ahmed talked about his camaraderie with MS Dhoni, saying that the keeper-batter is his guru. He also stated that during his debut, when Dhoni gave him the first over, he ran quickly to his run-up because he was scared that the captain might take away the ball. He also revealed that Zaheer Khan was his idol. Speaking to Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel, he explained:

"Mahi bhai is not my friend, not my elder brother, he is my guru. Since my childhood, I wanted to become the bowler who took the first over from India since I had watched Zaheer Khan growing up.

"In the Asia Cup, Mahi bhai asked me to bowl the first over. I ran so hard, away from the huddle, thinking that if I give it time, he might change his mind."

MS Dhoni gave me flowers - Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel Ahmed further recalled a hilarious story from New Zealand with MS Dhoni. He said that when some of the fans gave keeper-batter flowers, he passed them to the pacer. He elaborated:

"We were in New Zealand, Mahi bhai's fans had given him flowers, he passed it onto me, and some fans took a photo; it was quite memorable for me."

MS Dhoni was last seen in action during IPL 2024, where he played as a specialist wicketkeeper batter under Ruturaj Gaikwad.

There are a lot of speculations going around about the future of the league. In the last year, he scored 161 runs in 11 innings at an average of 53.66 and a strike rate of 220.54, with best score of 37* and a total of 14 fours and 13 sixes in the season. It remains to be seen if he play the next season or not.