England all-rounder Moeen Ali recently shared his top five Indian cricketers of all time, with former captain and wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni claiming the top spot in his rankings. Notably, Moeen Ali’s list includes just one player from the current Indian team.
Since his international debut in 2014, Moeen Ali has been a valuable asset to the England cricket team, showcasing his all-round skills in Test, One Day International (ODI), and T20 formats. Apart from contributing with both bat and ball, he has captained the team in international cricket, leading in one ODI and 11 T20Is.
Moeen Ali Named His Top-5 Indian Batters
Moeen Ali boasts an impressive international career, featuring 68 Tests, 138 ODIs, and 82 T20Is for England. Throughout his illustrious journey, the all-rounder has amassed over 6,000 runs, including eight centuries and 28 half-centuries. Additionally, he has taken 360 wickets across all three formats.
In a recent interview, Moeen Ali named MS Dhoni, his IPL captain, as the top cricketer on his list of the top five Indian players of all time. He positioned Virat Kohli in the second spot, praising him as one of the finest players in the game. He said:
“For me No. 1 is Dhoni. He was a great player but people forget how good he was. It is everything he won as a captain for India,”
He added: “Virat (Kohli) No.2 because he is great and one of the best players,”
The seasoned all-rounder positioned cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in the third spot. Ali recognized Tendulkar’s substantial contribution to the art of batting, underscoring his unparalleled impact on the game.
“It pains me to say this but he (Sachin) is No.3 because of him being Sachin and I think he started the (art) of proper batting. There was Sunil Gavaskar as well but he was before my era so I didn’t see a lot of him. But Sachin was just different level,”
Further, Moeen Ali revealed that Virender Sehwag is his favorite batter, lauding his distinctive and destructive batting style across formats. Ali also commended Yuvraj Singh for his remarkable bat swing, considering him the most exciting player to watch. He said:
“My favourite batter is Virender Sehwag because he was something different. The way he batted in Test matches, ODIs and T20s, he scored massive and he absolutely destroyed bowlers,”
He added: “The guy I looked up to as a batter…in terms of…of course I would try to copy up to a certain extent and people have compared me to him a little bit so it’s Yuvraj Singh. The bat swing, the way he played and his bat swing was amazing to watch. When in form, he was the best player to watch,”
Moeen Ali’s top-5 Indian batters:
MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh
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