MS Dhoni Backed Me To Bat Up The Order: Moeen Ali On His Batting Promotion In IPL 2021

England all-rounder Moeen Ali has hailed CSK skipper MS Dhoni for promoting him to the No.3 in the first phase of IPL 14.

Ali, who was released by the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore prior to the IPL 2021 auctions, was picked up by the MS Dhoni-led three-time champions in Chennai Super Kings for Rs 7 Crore.

The decision to pick Moeen Ali and promote him to the No.3 spot proved to be a masterstroke from MS Dhoni as the stylish southpaw displayed his ‘A’ game in almost every match he batted.

In 6 matches, Moeen Ali scored 206 runs at a blistering strike rate of 157.25.

Speaking to media ahead of the 3rd and final ODI of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, Moeen Ali said that it was nice to get the confidence of his captain.

The spin-bowling all-rounder added that MS Dhoni backed him to play just like he does for his county, Worcester.

“MS (Dhoni) backed me to bat up the order (for CSK) and play like I play for Worcester. Its nice to get that confidence from the captain. I get it here (England) as well. But we (England) have got so many world-class players it’s difficult to get up the order,” Moeen Ali  was quoted as saying.

“I’m just trying to enjoy my cricket. In the past, I would let that affect me. But I have come to realize that sometimes it is just the way it is,” he added.

Apart from scoring 206 runs, Moeen Ali also claimed 5 wickets in six matches at an average of 14.80 and an economy rate of 6.16 before the IPL got halted due to multiple Covid cases.

The second phase of the IPL will resume in the UAE in mid-September. It is still not clear whether English players will be allowed to feature in the competition. If they aren’t then it will be a body blow to the Chennai Super Kings.

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