Ahead of the 2023 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), Delhi Capitals (DC) fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed recalled his roller-coaster journey during his growing-up years before becoming a cricketer.

Khaleel’s father was so strict that he used to beat the left-arm pacer with belt for ignoring household work in order to play cricket. It was then his beloved sisters would treat his wounds.

“I have three older sisters, and my father was a compounder in the Tonk district. So when daddy used to go to his job, I had to do things like going to buy groceries, milk, or vegetables. I used to go to play in between, which meant that household work would remain incomplete.”

“My mother would complain about it to my father, who would look at me and ask me where I was. I used to be on the ground. He used to be very angry because I didn’t study or do any work. He thrashed me with a belt too, which left marks on my body. My sisters would treat those wounds at night,” Khaleel told Aakash Chopra on Jio Cinema.

“My father was a compounder, so he wanted me to become a doctor or do something in that field. He just wanted to ensure that I didn’t face any difficulties in the future. Once I progressed a bit in cricket, he started supporting me. He told me to play cricket and said his pension would take care of me if I failed to make a career out of it.”

Despite a promising start to his international career, Khaleel failed to secure a spot in the Indian team but he is still touted as a talented bowler with a bright future ahead.

Talking about the shift in his career, he said, “The shift happened when I was selected to represent Rajasthan in U14. I picked up around 21 wickets in four matches and also got featured in the newspapers. I gave the allowances that I got to my family, which is when they got emotionally connected after seeing these things."