IPL 2019: It's Not Ideal, Says Moeen Ali On Leaving IPL Midway

Moeen Ali’s sojourn in India for the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to come to an end. The England star would soon fly out to be his country for the team’s World Cup preparations and the upcoming games against Ireland and Pakistan. England will take on Ireland in a one-off ODI before locking horns against Pakistan. The Eoin Morgan-led side will play one T20I and five ODIs against Pakistan before starting their World Cup campaign on May 30 against South Africa.

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And as his time in the IPL is all but up, Moeen said leaving the competition midway is a shame, especially when there is a slim chance of his team Royal Challengers Bangalore making it to the playoffs.  He, however, said that he would keep an eye on how his team fares in the remainder of the competition. Royal Challengers have kept alive their slim playoff hopes alive by winning their last two games. Currently languishing at the bottom of the points table, the Royal Challengers have won 3 of their first ten games.

“It’s not ideal. I think it’s worse when there are three games to go. If there were 6, 7 games, it was a little more understandable.

And knowing that there could be a chance of going through if we win all our games, then you miss out on a potential semifinal and stuff, but I will definitely keep an eye out and see how they are going, hoping that we are winning all our games,” he told reporters on the eve of the match against Kings XI Punjab.

Moeen further said that the IPL has helped him prepare well for the world cup. The allrounder said the IPL gave him an opportunity to rub shoulders with the big names of the game. He was also asked if he preferred batting up the order for RCB, Moeen said this would not bother him much.

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“We tried left and right combination to make it tougher for the bowlers and fielders. … I may prefer to come in as early as possible. I am not to worried until the team is winning and I am doing okay,” he said.

In ten games so far, Ali has scored 216 runs with the help of two fifties and has also picked up 5 wickets.