Moeen Ali lavished praise on MS Dhoni, stating that having him as the captain automatically strengthens the team and positions them as title contenders.
Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Moeen Ali conveyed his lack of knowledge regarding skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s plans for him in the upcoming Indian Premier League season. Moeen, who became part of CSK in IPL 2021, has played a crucial role in the team, contributing to their victory in a couple of titles. The former England star, retained by the five-time champions for another season, will again play under MS Dhoni’s leadership. Speculations are circulating that IPL 2025 could be Dhoni’s final season in the league, as he is set to turn 42 later this year.
Despite playing with a knee injury throughout the competition, the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman led CSK to their fifth IPL title last season.
Ali thrived under Dhoni’s captaincy at Chennai Super Kings, praising the former Indian skipper and emphasizing that having him as captain automatically strengthens the team.
“Dhoni is a unique player and captain. When you are playing for CSK with Dhoni as the captain, whether the team is perceived as weak or strong on paper, there’s always a chance of winning,” Ali told ESPNCricinfo.
The 36-year-old is eager to play under Dhoni’s leadership once again but is unaware of his plans for IPL 2025.
“I have participated in three seasons, but I don’t know what he is planning. His strategic approach is really good. It is exciting as a player – what role he has in mind for you,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dhoni has already joined CSK’s pre-season training camp to prepare for the upcoming season. The defending champions will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener.
CSK recently faced a setback as star opener Devon Conway might miss the first half of the season due to a thumb injury sustained during the T20I series against Australia.
CSK initiated their pre-season training camp on Saturday, with the first batch of players arriving before Dhoni. The players who have joined so far include Deepak Chahar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Simarjeet Singh, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, Ajay Mandal, Shaik Rasheed, and Nishant Sindhu (all-rounder).