KKR’s decision to bring him in turned out to be a good one.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) overseas star Moeen Ali admitted that he was unfortunate to face his England teammate Jofra Archer in the match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati, saying that Archer’s pace was too much for him to handle.
Moeen played an important role in KKR’s big win over RR in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Coming in to make his debut for KKR, he replaced Sunil Narine, who was ill. Moeen ensured that KKR didn’t miss Narine, grabbing two wickets for 23 runs and helping to restrict RR to 151.
With the bat, Moeen opened the innings with Quinton de Kock but could not do much, scoring only five runs off 12 balls. He struggled against Archer’s pace but made up for it with his excellent bowling.
After the match, Moeen Ali admitted that he hadn’t faced such fast bowling in a long time, probably not since the Ashes. He felt unlucky to be up against Archer, as the pace was too much for him to handle. Moeen retired from international cricket after the T20 World Cup 2024. Since then, he has only played franchise league and county cricket. So, he had not encountered such quick bowling for a long time.
Moeen talked about the importance of staying at his best, learning continuously, and using his experience wisely. He stressed the need to aim at the stumps while bowling and maintain a tight line, especially against left-handed batters.
“I have not faced that sort of fast bowling probably since the Ashes. I was the unlucky one facing him, he was too quick for me. Just to stay on top of your game and still try to improve and develop. Use my experience and keep the stumps in play and to the left-handers in particular bowl it tight,” Moeen Ali said.
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There were questions about his selection in the IPL 2025 auction, especially since he had limited opportunities with Chennai Super Kings last season. However, KKR’s decision to bring him in turned out to be a good one, as he proved his worth with a match-winning performance.
His role in the team might shift once Narine returns, but Moeen has proven his value to KKR and shown that he can step up with impactful performances.
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