As the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League approaches, Moeen Ali, the all-rounder for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), praised the qualities of MS Dhoni.
Moeen Ali expressed admiration for MS Dhoni’s exceptional leadership, highlighting Chennai’s impressive achievements under his captaincy. Dhoni led the team to five IPL victories (2010, 2011, 2018, 2020, 2023) establishing himself as one of cricket’s most successful captains along with Rohit Sharma who has the same number of IPL titles under his belt.
Ali praised Dhoni’s strategic acumen, noting that even when faced with challenges in team composition, the wicketkeeper-batsman consistently instills confidence in the team’s ability to win. The English cricketer conveyed his excitement about being Dhoni’s teammate, emphasizing the thrill of sharing the dressing room with someone renowned for their strategic prowess.
Describing Dhoni as a special player and captain, Ali remarked on the rarity of personalities like him. According to Ali, Dhoni’s strategic thinking keeps players on their toes, with the assurance that under his captaincy, CSK always stands a solid chance of winning, irrespective of the team’s strength.
“Everyone knows that Dhoni is a special player and a special captain. He is a very good guy. I have played three seasons but I don’t know what he is going to come up with. His strategic persona is really good. It is exciting as a player – what role he has for you. When you are playing for CSK with Dhoni as the captain, whether the team is weak or strong on paper, you always have a chance of winning,” Moeen Ali said via ESPNcricinfo.
Expressing optimism, the 36-year-old emphasized that England stands an excellent opportunity to defend their title in the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to kick off on June 1. He went on to mention that the Three Lions have gleaned valuable insights from the previous ODI World Cup, and as a result, they are poised to showcase an improved performance in the highly anticipated tournament.
“It will be silly not to (if they would take lessons from the ODI World Cup). I think we have learned a lot. I think we were expecting to do it decently and see where it goes. The balance of the team was difficult. We changed a few things. I think we have a great chance in this T20 World Cup. It is too early to say if we are favourites, but we will be fine,” Ali said.
Moeen Ali, acquired by CSK for 7 crores in the IPL 2021 auction, played a pivotal role in their title victory that year, contributing 357 runs and taking 6 wickets in 15 matches. Retained for 8 crores in the 2022 mega auction, Ali continued to make an impact with 124 runs and 9 wickets in the same number of matches as the previous season, contributing to Chennai’s equaling of Mumbai Indians in terms of most IPL trophies.
