Moeen Ali’s comments on Stokes and Dhoni spark discussion over CSK captaincy
Despite the lack of clear instructions or clarifications from CSK, Moeen Ali had a great shot at ending the discussion.
Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) decision to sign England Test captain Ben Stokes for Rs 16.25 at the December IPL season 2023 mini-auction has sparked speculation over whether MS Dhoni will choose Stokes to change his forecast. CSK tried to replace 41-year-old Dhoni with Ravindra Jadeja last season, but the team has since opted for an experienced player. However, while the franchise did not provide any clear explanations or instructions, Moeen Ali came up with a good answer to avoid any controversy.
#BenStokes was signed by #ChennaiSuperKings in the #IPL2023 auction for INR 16.25 crore.https://t.co/g9xMsTrWqR
— CricketNDTV (@CricketNDTV) March 31, 2023
England’s Test team put in an incredible performance under Stokes, winning 10 of their last 12 games. Despite Stokes suggesting he won’t be replaced, Moeen thinks his star record makes him a good candidate.
“He’s really enjoying himself,”Moeen was talking about Stokes on the eve of CSK’s game against the Mumbai Indians in Wankhede,”CSK is the type of franchise where you come here and you do tend to enjoy yourself and really love playing for this franchise. He’s settled in really well. He’s a big part of the team with his experience.”
If the England Test captain is a member of CSK’s leadership team, Moeen further clarified: “There’s no real such leadership group: you have the captain and the coaches, and they talk. If Dhoni wants Ben Stokes’ advice, or a chat with him, it’s a very open environment in that changing room.” The British striker, however, hinted that Dhoni could remain in the CSK captaincy despite other options such as Stokes or Ruturaj Gaikwad.
“I think there’s a chance [that Stokes succeeds Dhoni]; of course there’s a chance, because he’s obviously done really well in Test cricket,” Moeen said. “But MS is still obviously in charge and he’s going to be captain for a while. We have some other guys as well: Ruturaj is a fantastic player with a good head on his shoulders, so it depends on what the franchise wants.” Stokes has had a bad start to his CSK career so far, allowing just 15 runs and a bowling in two games despite knee concerns.
