Happy Birthday Moeen Ali: A look at England all-rounder’s top IPL performances – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

England all-rounder Moeen Ali is known for his ability to clear the fence with outstanding timing. He has often left batters stunned with his skill of turning the ball. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star celebrates his birthday today, 18 June.

Ali was part of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for three seasons before they released him ahead of the 2021 mega auction. In his last year for RCB, the middle-order batter only featured in three matches and could not produce anything significant. But after joining Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s CSK in 2021, he went on to cement his place in the playing XI.

When CSK lifted their fourth IPL title in 2021, Ali was one of the star players responsible for the feat. The southpaw recorded 357 runs and picked up 6 wickets in 15 contests last year. Though he was not retained by the Yellow Army, they bought him again in the 2022 auction. Ali played 10 matches this year, scoring 244 runs and scalping 8 wickets.

On the occasion of his 35th birthday, let’s take a look at his top IPL performances:

93 off 57 for CSK against Rajasthan Royals in 2022: The best performance from Ali’s bat came during CSK’s encounter against Rajasthan Royals this year.  CSK were struggling after losing two early wickets, when Ali took charge of the game and smashed 93 runs in 57 balls. His fiery innings including 13 boundaries and 3 maximums. Though he missed a well-deserved ton, the southpaw’s innings helped CSK put up a total of 150 runs. However, the Rajasthan side clinched the victory by 5 wickets after a composed chase by Ravichandra Ashwin and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

66 off 28 for RCB against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019: In an away game against Kolkata Knight Riders, Ali smashed a crucial 28-ball 66 and put up a 90-run partnership with Virat Kohli. The innings helped Bangalore to post a mammoth 213 runs on the board and snatch a comfortable win over the Kolkata-based franchise.

65 off 34 for RCB against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018: Coming in to bat at No 4 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ali joined hands with AB de Villiers and made a 107-run stand, taking RCB to a total of 218 runs. Ali smashed 65 runs off 34 balls, of which 36 runs came solely from maximums.

58 off 36 for CSK against Mumbai Indians in 2021:  Ali registered a blazing 36-ball 58 against CSK’s arch-rivals Mumbai Indians in a last-over thriller. He whacked 5 boundaries and as many sixes to help the yellow brigade to post a comfortable 200-plus score. But following the devastating 87-run knock of Kieron Pollard, Chennai lost the match by 4 wickets.

50 off 32 for RCB against Mumbai Indians in 2019: In a game against Mumbai Indians in 2019, Ali fetched a commendable half-century in 32 deliveries. His innings was laced with 5 sixes and a single boundary. Powered by Ali’s innings along with AB de Villiers’ 75, RCB posted 171 runs. However, Mumbai chased the target down with an over left to spare.

3/7 for CSK against Rajasthan Royals in 2021: In a fixture against Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 edition, Ali bowled one of the most economical spells in IPL history. During his three overs, the English off-spinner scythed through Rajasthan’s middle-order picking up the wickets of David Miller, Riyan Parag and Chris Morris at a cost of only 7 runs. His superb spell helped the Yellow Army clinch a 45-run victory.

3/13 for CSK against Delhi Capitals in 2022: In the latest edition of IPL, Ali tuned out to be the hero for the Chennai-based franchise. While defending a mammoth 209 run-target, Ali picked up three wickets including Delhi skipper Rishabh Pant, Mitchell Marsh and Ripal Patel, giving away just 13 runs in 4 overs. The brilliant spell helped CSK restrict the Delhi-based side to 117 runs.

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