After conceding 48 runs for one wicket in his allotted four over in the series opener between India and New Zealand for three-match T20I, young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed made an impressive comeback in the second match.
Ahmed picked two wickets for just 27-runs in the second T20I as Team India levelled the series 1-1, before losing the series 2-1 to New Zealand.
When the left-arm pacer was asked about his comeback, Khaleel revealed that stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma was the man behind his strong comeback in the T20I series.
“Rohit bhai spoke to me after the first match. He discussed where I was going wrong and explained to me the perspective of a batsman when he comes to the crease in a T20 game. He spoke on how I should prepare to take on the batsmen who are looking to attack from the word go. He spoke about the mindset of different batsmen and also how I should set specific fields for each opposition batsman. He really guided me a lot and most importantly asked me to bowl bindaas (carefree) and back my strength,” Ahmed told Hindustan Times.
“Rohit bhai has played so many matches and when someone like him guides you, you know how to go about the job. After all, he is one of the most destructive batsmen in the shorter formats of the game. Him coming forward and sharing that experience helped a lot as I realised that I should not take any undue pressure just because the batsmen are looking to attack every ball,” Ahmed explained.
Meanwhile, Team India will host Australia for two-match T20I series followed by five-match ODI series starting 24 February.