Shocking! India pacer leaves England just before 5th Test due to 'personal reasons'
Published - 28 Jul 2025, 05:34 PM | Updated - 28 Jul 2025, 11:39 PM
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India pacer Khaleel Ahmed has ended his stint with Essex earlier than planned. Khaleel Ahmed had signed a two-month deal with the Essex County Cricket Club ahead of the ongoing County Championship.
The Indian pacer was originally expected to feature in 6 first-class matches and possibly 10 List A games in the One-Day Cup for Essex. However, after appearing in just two red-ball games, Khaleel has returned to India due to reportedly personal reasons.
Khaleel Ahmed ends Essex stint early and returns to India
Khaleel had joined Essex in June after making a strong impact for India A, where he picked up a 4-wicket haul against the England Lions in the unofficial Test match. Essex had high hopes for the left-arm pacer, but things didn’t go as planned.
Khaleel could play only two County Championship matches for Essex and managed to take only four wickets at an average of 64.50, which fell short of expectations. However, Essex expressed appreciation for Khaleel’s efforts and supported the India bowler’s decision to leave early.
Khaleel Ahmed returned home for personal reasons: Essex County Cricket Club
The Essex County Cricket Club said in a press statement: “Essex Cricket can confirm that Khaleel Ahmed has made the decision to return home for personal reasons and will be ending his time with the Club. While we are disappointed to see him leave, we fully support Khaleel’s decision and are grateful for the contributions he made during his time with us. Everyone at Essex Cricket wishes Khaleel all the very best for the future.”
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler, who last played for India in 2019, has taken 15 wickets in 11 ODIs. In domestic cricket, Khaleel has been a consistent performer for Rajasthan. With 60 wickets in 22 first-class matches at an average of just over 30, he remains a strong contender in India’s red-ball circuit.
Now, Khaleel is expected to be in the mix for the upcoming inter-zonal Duleep Trophy 2025, which marks the start of India’s red-ball domestic season on August 28. His early return from England will give him more time to prepare for the upcoming domestic season of 2025-26.
Struggling Essex eye turnaround against Warwickshire
On the other hand, Essex are all set to face Warwickshire County Cricket Club in their next game in the County Championship from July 29 at the County Cricket Ground in Chelmsford. They are currently going through a really bad patch, having won only three of their 14 games so far.
The Essex side is currently the bottom-ranked team in the South Zone in the ongoing County Championship. However, in their previous game, Essex thrashed Sussex by an innings and 39 runs at Hove, on the back of James Coles’ third back-to-back century in the tournament.
Indian stars light up County Championship
Notably, several Indian cricketers are playing in the ongoing County Championship. Yuzvendra Chahal is playing for Northamptonshire, while Ishan Kishan joined Nottinghamshire. Tilak Varma is representing Hampshire. On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad was set to play for Yorkshire, but he left early due to personal reasons, and Khaleel Ahmed joined him.
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Essex County Championship Khaleel Ahmed India National Cricket Team England National Cricket Team India vs England IND vs ENGAbout the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ... Read more
