I am also aggressive so I love to play under Virat Bhai: Khaleel Ahmed

The young left-arm speedster from Rajasthan made his debut against Honk Kong in a ODI fixture played during 2018 Asia Cup where he bagged three wickets. Since then Khaleel Ahmed has featured in 11 ODIs and 14 T20Is where he has managed to claim 28 wickets for India so far. 

During an interview with Times of India, the 22-year-old spoke about the different approaches of the captains he has played under.  

“Both Virat Bhai and Rohit Bhai are different types of captains. Virat Bhai is very aggressive. If a batsman hits you for a boundary or six, he will come, show confidence in you, and tell you to bowl a bouncer. He will inject energy in you with his aggression," the 22-year-old was quoted as saying by TOI.

Khaleel rightly points out the different styles of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in leading the team and with Khaleel being young blood, he certainly loves playing under a captain who is aggressive in nature. 

“On the other hand, Rohit Bhai remains calm. He will come and give you confidence. He will give you the freedom and say you are playing an international match, you know better what to bowl, now go and bowl and dismiss him. I am also aggressive so I love to play under Virat Bhai," Khaleel Ahmed said.

Khaleel Ahmed is one of the few players who has had the opportunity to play under all three captains - MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

“The common thing between Rohit Bhai and Virat Bhai is that they will not force a player to do anything. They will come, guide, and ask your opinion and then give inputs," he added.

Virat Kohli is always completely involved in the game, and the vivid display of his efforts brings the best out of the players. The Rajasthan-born pacer recollected the forgetful memory of a ODI match, where he was hammered by the Aussies and how captain Kohli motivated him. 

"Virat Bhai came to me after that match and said 'Khallu, bowl the way you do at nets. Don’t take the pressure. You will go a long way'. I didn’t perform well and instead of scolding, he boosted my confidence. He has never scolded me or any player. He is a champion player and that’s how he treats every player in the team,” he said.

[With inputs from TOI]