Moeen Ali’s father, Munir Ali, has credited MS Dhoni for playing a key role in shaping his son’s cricketing journey. The former England all-rounder was part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad under Dhoni’s leadership from 2021 to 2023 in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
During that period, CSK clinched the IPL title twice in 2021 and 2023, with Moeen contributing significantly. Across the two seasons, he scored 481 runs and took 15 wickets in 30 matches. Speaking to the New Indian Express in a recent interview, Munir Ali reflected on Moeen’s time in the IPL, stating:
“Playing IPL was a great move for Moeen. First he played for RCB and got a chance to spend time with Virat (Kohli). Then he moved to CSK and learnt a lot from Dhoni – the calmness, captaincy skills. I would say playing at No 3 and getting an opportunity with the ball helped him thrive at CSK. He always talks about Dhoni how much he learnt from him.”
He further added:
“He enjoyed playing for CSK. He loved his stay in Chennai as everyone loves CSK players there. We still get messages for him on social media from fans, which make us really happy and proud.”
Munir Ali Praises Dhoni’s Composure During Pressure Situations
Munir Ali acknowledged MS Dhoni‘s role in shaping his son’s on-field composure and match awareness. He praised the legendary CSK skipper for instilling a sense of calm and clarity in Moeen Ali during high-pressure situations. He scored over 800 runs and took 25 wickets for CSK between 2021 and 2024.
“As a captain he found that Dhoni was always calm no matter what the situation was. When he came back, he captained Birmingham Phoenix to the final. The commentators always talked about Moeen’s calmness in difficult situations,” said Munir Ali (via the aforementioned source).
He further concluded:
“That is one important thing he picked up from the former India captain. If a captain is calm and relaxed then the team is calm and relaxed and that was a life lesson for Moeen. Another thing he learnt from Dhoni was assessing the game and going accordingly.”
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