CSK win IPL 2021: Moeen Ali first Englishman to win IPL, denies Morgan – Moeen Ali became the first England player to win an IPL title after the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) thwarted the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Dubai on Friday. The all-rounder, who retired from the longest format of the game recently, pipped captain Eoin Morgan, who is the captain of the KKR outfit. The duo will now join up with the England squad, for the T20 World Cup set to kick off later this month.
CSK win IPL 2021: Moeen Ali becomes first Englishman to win IPL, justifies 7 Crore IPL Salary tag with crucial cameo
Moeen Ali played a massive part on Friday, as CSK clinched a convincing win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2021 final. The 34-year-old walked into bat with his side needing some impetus and the left-hander chipped in with a breezy knock of 37 off just 20 balls to guide CSK to a mammoth 192/3 in their innings. South African veteran Faf du Plessis top-scored with a stellar 86, while Ruturaj Gaikwad and Robin Uthappa also chipped in with cameos.
Moeen Ali going to be the first English winner of the IPL. Seriously decorated career: 50o World Cup winner, Ashes winner, other big Test series, won Blast as skipper. Will have to play a big role if England are to add T20 World Cup to his trophy cabinet. 👑
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) October 15, 2021
In response, KKR folded and could only manage 165 in their innings, with Eoin Morgan, continuing his wretched form, ending with a modest tournament haul of 133 runs from 16 innings at an average of 11 and a strike rate of 95. Moeen Ali’s knock comes in at the most opportune moment as he faces stiff competition from Liam Livingstone to make it to the playing XI during the T20 World Cup. Among Englishmen, only Chris Jordan (RCB, 2016), had played an IPL final before Moeen Ali and Eoin Morgan tussled on Friday.
CSK win IPL 2021: Moeen Ali becomes first Englishman to win IPL, justifies selection with breezy cameo vs KKR
Moeen Ali, who was part of England’s 2019 World Cup-winning team, struggled for words to express his delight at winning the title with Chennai Super Kings. After the game, he said, “It’s amazing, and I can’t describe it really. never thought I’d win the IPL and to do it with this team is amazing. I could have been dropped a couple of games ago. I feel like it’s such a grounded and humble team, and great to be a part of.”
Moeen Ali ended the tournament with 357 runs and six wickets, proving to be one of the shrewdest purchases at the auction. CSK shelled out Rs 7.5 crore to get him on board, and the English all-rounder repaid the franchise’s faith with consistent performances over the course of the tournament. It was easily Ali’s career-best season in the IPL, after a brief stint at Royal Challengers Bangalore before moving to CSK.
