Moeen Ali is the perfect white-ball player and is even more suited to being the match-winner in the shortest format. Chennai Super Kings lapped him when he was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Moeen Ali has fit in perfectly with his role in the side.
MS Dhoni loves spin-bowling all-rounders and Moeen Ali fits the bill perfectly. He gave glimpses of his abilities last year, but this year, he seems to have hit the right notes. With him being a huge member of England’s amazing white-ball side, Moeen has the experience to be an MVP for Chennai in the IPL this season.
We take a look at reasons why Moeen Ali can be CSK’s MVP in IPL 2023:
#3 Provides balance – regular starter
Moeen Ali is the perfect all-rounder that MS Dhoni absolutely loves. He will feature in all matches if available and hence, this gives him the chance to always be in the game and make his presence felt.
He will, on most occasions, bowl his four overs and will mostly bat in the top order – two traits that will help him accumulate most points. Apart from these skills, he is standing in the slips to the spinners and will be able to make a difference with his fielding as well.
#2 Tremendous impact in Chennai
Moeen did not bowl in the first match of the season when CSK took on the Gujarat Titans. However, MS Dhoni gave him the ball when the conditions were conducive in Chennai and he made an immediate impact.
CSK have three genuine match-winners with the ball in the form of Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, and Moeen Ali. Hence, the pitches on offer could well start to turn and this first match on the surface that saw batters have a blast could be an aberration.
Moeen is extremely accurate and keeps attacking the stumps – this will keep him in the contest. He returned with four wickets in his first outing this season in Chennai and changed the complexion of the match with his off breaks. The conditions will only get more favorable to the spinners as the season pans out and Moeen has a real chance to make it his own.
#1 Natural hitter of spinners
MS Dhoni tends to use Moeen up the order and the left-hander has been enjoying the extra freedom that comes with this role. It doesn’t take long for him to start ticking, and this could be another reason why he could emerge as the MVP this season.
With Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway getting CSK off to breezy starts, the platform will invariably be set for Moeen to saunter out and keep the pressure on the bowlers. This will be even more true when he is up against the spinners when the conditions start to become sluggish. Although he generally struggles against high pace bouncers, he won’t encounter these conditions in the IPL.
