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‘India Will Target Him' - Ex-ENG Keeper Predicts 'This' Player To Fight vs Rohit Sharma & Co.

image-lrq1ovqjRehan Ahmed during a training session (AP)

Young English spinner Rehan Ahmed is poised to make a return to his country’s Test lore through the upcoming five-match series in India. Much was discussed about the prodigal spinner when he was first selected in England’s 16-player squad for the tour by the ECB back in December 2023.

Ahmed, who made his Test debut in December 2022 at Karachi against Pakistan, picked up seven wickets in the game to headline England’s 3-0 series win.

Former England wicketkeeper and Ahmed’s Leicestershire coach Paul Nixon believes the 19-year-old can make a similar impact against India on turning Indian surfaces, and cautioned hosts’ strong batting line-up from going after him. Nixon even compared the youngster with former English batsman and all-time great Kevin Pietersen.

Ex-ENG Keeper believes India will target youngster

Former England wicketkeeper and Leicestershire coach Paul Nixon has said that the cricket club instantly realized Rehan Ahmed’s potential as a leg-spinner when he first burst on to the scene as a 13-year-old in late 2017. Nixon even compared the youngster’s love and passion for the game to that of all-time English great Kevin Pietersen. He said:

“We just knew he was a young kid who was going to develop really quickly. And as soon as I saw his infectious love of the game and passion to get better and grow, he reminded me a little bit of Kevin Pietersen because KP was one of the few figures I’ve met who had zero doubt in his own ability and had zero fear. Rehan was exactly the same.”

The cricketer-turned-coach also believes that India’s famed batting line-up will be aiming to target Rehan Ahmed in the upcoming Test series. However, he claimed that Ahmed is a “canny operator with a good brain” who will learn from his experience. Nixon added:

“I think India will target him as a youngster, they’ll try and dominate him, but he’s a canny operator with a good brain and whatever happens he’ll learn so much from it.”

The first of the five Test matches between the two sides will commence from January 25 onwards. The match will be staged at the iconic Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.