IND vs ENG: MS Dhoni No.1, Rohit Sharma Ignored! Moeen Ali Picks Top 5 Indian Cricketers
Published - 09 Jan 2024, 06:43 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:25 AM
Table of Contents
England all-rounder Moeen Ali recently revealed his top five Indian cricketers of all time, placing former captain and wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni at the No. 1 spot in his list. Notably, Moeen Ali’s list includes just one active cricketer from the current Indian team.
Moeen Ali has been a crucial asset to England since his international debut in 2014, showcasing his all-round prowess across three formats. He demonstrated his skills for England and even captained the side in international cricket, leading in one ODI and 11 T20Is.
Ali has participated in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs, and 82 T20Is for England during his illustrious international career. The all-rounder has amassed over 6,000 runs, featuring eight centuries and 28 half-centuries. He has claimed 360 wickets across the three formats.
For Me No. 1 MS Dhoni – Moeen Ali
In a recent interview, Moeen Ali selected MS Dhoni, his IPL captain, at the top of his list of the top five Indian cricketers of all time. Placing Virat Kohli in the second spot, Ali described him as one of the best players in the game.
“For me No. 1 is Dhoni. He was a great player but people forget how good he was. It is everything he won as a captain for India,” Ali told Samp Army.
“Virat (Kohli) No.2 because he is great and one of the best players,” said Ali.
Sachin Tendulkar Was Just Different Level – Moeen Ali
The experienced all-rounder placed cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in the third position. Ali acknowledged Tendulkar’s significant contribution to the art of batting, emphasizing his unparalleled impact.
“It pains me to say this but he (Sachin) is No.3 because of him being Sachin and I think he started the (art) of proper batting. There was Sunil Gavaskar as well but he was before my era so I didn’t see a lot of him. But Sachin was just different level,” Ali opined.
My Favourite Batter Is Virender Sehwag – Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali revealed Virender Sehwag as his favorite batter, praising his unique and destructive batting across formats. Ali also praised Yuvraj Singh’s remarkable bat swing and regarded him as the best player to watch.
“My favourite batter is Virender Sehwag because he was something different. The way he batted in Test matches, ODIs and T20s, he scored massive and he absolutely destroyed bowlers,” Ali said.
“The guy I looked up to as a batter…in terms of…of course I would try to copy up to a certain extent and people have compared me to him a little bit so it’s Yuvraj Singh. The bat swing, the way he played and his bat swing was amazing to watch. When in form, he was the best player to watch,” Ali added.
Moeen Ali retired from red-ball cricket following the Ashes 2023. The 36-year-old had a commendable record against India in red-ball cricket, scoring 430 runs in six Tests at an average of 39.09, including two centuries. The spinner also took 18 wickets on Indian pitches.
