Chennai Super Kings retained Khaleel Ahmed for another season at ₹4.8 crore. The left-arm pacer stays with the IPL team after a decent 2025 campaign. CSK originally bought him for the same amount in last year’s auction. They clearly see value in his bowling abilities for 2026 ahead. His journey from ₹30 lakh to crores shows tremendous growth honestly.
Khaleel Ahmed’s IPL Price Journey Over the Years
Sunrisers Hyderabad first signed Khaleel Ahmed for just ₹30 lakh way back. He played there from 2018 to 2021 earning relatively small amounts. The 2022 mega auction changed everything for him completely though luckily. Delhi Capitals grabbed him for ₹5.25 crore that year, which was surprisingly high.
His price dropped slightly when Chennai bought him for ₹4.8 crore recently. The IPL team management sees him as crucial for their pace attack. Khaleel Ahmed’s IPL Price stayed at ₹4.8 crore for 2026 retention too. That consistency shows CSK trusts his abilities despite the ups and downs he faced.
Left-arm pacers always command decent money in IPL auctions these days. His skills fit what modern T20 cricket demands from fast bowlers.
Solid IPL Career Stats Till Now
Khaleel Ahmed played 71 IPL matches and grabbed 89 wickets since debut. His bowling average of 26.16 looks pretty good for a pacer actually. Best bowling figures came at 3/21 which isn’t mind-blowing but decent enough. Back in 2019, he absolutely killed it with 19 wickets from nine games.
Last year, he managed 17 wickets throughout the entire 2024 campaign. The 2025 season brought 15 wickets from 14 matches at 29.80 average. His most recent IPL game was in May 2025. Khaleel grabbed one wicket for only 17 runs in that match economically.
CSK uses him mainly for powerplay and death over situations when needed. He started playing T20 cricket for Rajasthan way before IPL came calling.
Breakthroughs and Setbacks Faced
The 2016 U-19 Cricket World Cup put Khaleel on everyone’s radar initially. That tournament showcased his raw pace and swing abilities clearly then. He made his IPL debut in 2018 with high expectations surrounding him.
International cricket gave him chances until November 2019 before injuries struck. Competition for national team spots remains tough for him even now.
Some memorable moments include sledging incidents with Virat Kohli during matches emotionally. His celebrations after taking catches grabbed headlines multiple times too dramatically.
