Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) made a significant swap of four players before the start of IPL 2027. CSK sent their fast bowlers Nathan Ellis and Khaleel Ahmed to SRH in exchange for Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards.
Khaleel Ahmed had gotten injured midway through IPL 2026 and missed a significant portion of the tournament. However, letting Khaleel Ahmed go to Sunrisers Hyderabad has made experts and many CSK fans question the franchise decision. Today, let’s have a look at 3 reasons why CSK shouldn’t have let go of Khaleel Ahmed.
Here are the 3 reasons why CSK shouldn’t have left Khaleel Ahmed before IPL 2027:
3. Indian left-arm pacers are rare
Khaleel Ahmed offered Chennai Super Kings a rare commodity. He was a left-arm Indian pace bowler who came in very few numbers in the Indian Premier League. There are very few Indian pacers who bowl left-handed, and Khaleel was an experienced bowler as well. He has played for India as well in both ODIs and T20Is. His ability to bowl from different angles added diversity to the bowling squad and helped in creating good combinations against the opponent players.
2. Khaleel could swing the ball in powerplay overs
Khaleel Ahmed was a threat to opposition batters with the new ball. He could swing the ball both ways to a right-handed batter, both in the air and off the pitch. This ability made him CSK captain’s go-to weapon in the powerplay overs, when the new ball does things. He could trouble top-order batters with his left-arm angle and early swing, giving the team early wickets. Now with Khaleel gone, CSK will have to find alternatives in the powerplay overs.
1. Khaleel Ahmed is going to SRH to deplete CSK’s pace unit
CSK has not only traded Khaleel Ahmed but also Nathan Ellis, giving two crucial members of the pace unit to SRH. This leaves their own pacer department depleted, with Jamie Overton, Gurjapneet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary being the main bowlers. They have Ramkrishna Ghosh, but he was injured in IPL 2026 as well. The bowling side of CSK has appeared highly vulnerable, and the side has faced many issues due to a series of injuries that the side has been facing. The absence of Khaleel means that swinging the ball is the job of Mukesh Choudhary and Gurjapneet Singh.
