DHARAMSALA: Even though his father is a compounder in a clinic, Khalil Ahmed doesn't know a thing about medicines. "I try to stay away from them," he says with a grin.

The tall pacer from Tonk, a small town in Rajasthan, however, doesn't shy away from giving the batsmen a taste of the 'medicine' at his disposal. The 20-year-old picked up just three wickets in two games in the Deodhar Trophy here, but impressed with the consistent speed that he generated.

"I clocked 148 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy recently. I was averaging in the 140s in that tournament," he claims.

The Rajasthan pacer credits his ability to bowl quick to the 'tennis-ball cricket culture' in his hometown. "I have played a lot of tennis-ball cricket on cement pitches in Tonk. The tennis ball is light, so you have to rely only on speed to beat and dismiss a batsman. If you play tennis-ball from a young age, it improves your arm rotation, which in turn increases your speed," he says.

It adds to his resume that he bowls left-arm fast, a commodity which is always in demand due to the variety it brings to the attack. "A left-arm fast bowler has the advantage of having a different angle. You have good chances of taking wickets with swing. I think I can get a chance (to play for India) if I perform well," he says.

In the Deodhar Trophy, Ahmed enjoyed the chance of bowling alongside India pacer Umesh Yadav. "Umesh bhai guided me during the death overs, what kind of fields I could set according to my pace," he acknowledges.

The youngster burst into the limelight when he took five for 30 to bowl India to a win over arch-rivals Pakistan during the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2016. Like most cricketers who play for the India Under-19 team, Ahmed too soaked in much from batting legend Rahul Dravid , the team's coach.

"The biggest advantage of that tournament for us was that we were playing under Rahul sir. He taught us a lot, about how life is off the field, and how important discipline is for a player.

He told me that if I wanted to play for India for a long period, I had to take care of my fitness," says the young turk.

When it comes to specifically his game, Ahmed says he learnt much from "the one and only Zaheer Khan ." "I was with him at the Delhi Daredevils for the last two years. He taught me how to bowl in different pitches in India… what line and length to bowl to which batsman. He's corrected a lot of my technical issues, because of which I'd a good domestic season… and now I' giving you this interview," he says before letting out a wide grin. Ahmed will play for the Sunrisers Hyderabad this season.

Though he's played just two First-Class games and a handful of limited over games, he now knows the vast gulf that exists between junior and senior cricket.

"There's a huge difference in both the levels. The margin of error is very little. You do not get as many chances as you do at junior level. Your bowling becomes a lot more consistent and mature. You take some time to understand all this," he says, before explaining further: "Cricket changes a lot after the Under-19 level. You need a lot of maturity in your bowling. After U-19, if you do not do well, it becomes problematic. The sooner you learn and understand senior cricket, the better for you."

Life for a cricketer isn't easy when you're playing for Rajasthan, a team which suffers hugely due to the chaos that surrounds cricket there. "There are problems. You don't get camps to prepare for the season, which are necessary for the team to gel," he admits.

Ahmed is excited about the prospect of bowling with India's Under-19 World Cup hero Kamlesh Nagarkoti , while playing for Rajasthan. "As a fast bowler, one has to be on your toes in Rajasthan, because there's so much competition. Kamlesh is doing well. We'll both look to learn things along the way," he says.

His face now having appeared a few times on TV and in the newspapers, Ahmed is now a 'star' in Tonk. "The people there become so happy when I go there. I've a busy schedule when I go there. Almost everyone knows me there. They're all so happy for me" he beams.

