IPL 2021: Moeen Ali's Departure Can Hurt RCB- Parthiv Patel

Former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore [RCB] wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel has reckoned that the Virat Kohli-led franchise could rue not retaining England all-rounder Moeen Ali in their set-up during the 2021 auction.

Moeen Ali, who was a part of the RCB set-up, was let go by the franchise ahead of the mini-auction.

In the auction, the MS Dhoni-led franchise claimed the services of the spin-bowling all-rounder at a whopping sum of Rs 7 Crore.

Patel added that having Moeen Ali in their set-up could have given an extra dimension to RCB’s playing 11 in IPL 2021.

“But I think, as Aakash rightly said, there were a lot of questions to be answered in the auction, but I don’t think they have answered those questions. Just because they were not expecting it to go out of Bangalore (all the 8 teams will play at neutral venues this year),” said Parthiv Patel on Star Sports show ‘Game Plan’.

“Hence, Moeen Ali went. If Moeen Ali was there, it would have been a different XI altogether. And one player actually can change the composition of the XI. As he rightly said, attention was to try to get away from ABD and Virat, but how much attention they are trying to win it away inside the team will matter the most and not outside of the team,” he added.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore [RCB] endured a season of two contrasting halves last year.

While they won almost everything during their first nine-ten fixtures, they proceeded to lose five games in a row to eventually bow out of the competition in the Eliminator where they lost to the SunRisers Hyderabad.

Giving an example of five-time champions Mumbai Indians, Parthiv Patel said that it is important to peak at the right time in order to win the cash-rich league, something that RCB failed to do last year.

“It all matters how you are ending the tournament, doesn’t it? I think we have seen Mumbai Indians so many times, not starting the tournament well, but picking at the right time, but once they get to the business end of the tournament, you know if they have to win five out of five, they have the team to go win it in Kolkata,” he added.

The Virat Kohli-led RCB will kickstart its IPL 2021 campaign against the Mumbai Indians at the Chepauk on April 09.

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