IPL 2025: Moeen Ali Feels “He Did A Nice job” But It’s Hard To Replace Sunil Narine

March 27, 2025: In the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) found themselves without their premier spinner, Sunil Narine, for their match against Rajasthan Royals. Narine, who has been a crucial part of KKR’s bowling unit and was instrumental in their trophy-winning campaign last season, was unavailable due to illness. In his absence, KKR’s captain, Ajinkya Rahane, turned to Moeen Ali, the seasoned all-rounder, to step up and lead the spin department.

Moeen, making his debut for KKR, was tasked with filling big shoes. Despite the pitch not offering much spin, the English all-rounder delivered a controlled and efficient performance. He bowled tight lines and lengths, managing to pick up two key wickets, finishing with figures of 2/23. His performance played a vital role in limiting Rajasthan Royals to a modest total of 151/9.

Moeen’s first breakthrough came when he dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal, but it was his dismissal of Nitish Rana that stood out. The ball spun sharply from a good length, crashing into the middle stump, a classic off-spinner’s delivery. Moeen was pleased with his performance, acknowledging that while he didn’t possess the mystery of other spinners, he was there to bowl tight and build pressure for his teammates, particularly Varun Chakravarthy, KKR’s prime mystery spinner.

“I came on before him [Varun], so my job was to try to bowl as tight as I can, and then maybe he can build a bit of pressure as well or get the wicket,” Moeen said in the post-match press conference. “I’m used to bowling with somebody who is better than me and has more mystery than me, so my job there is to bowl as tight as I can, and hopefully, that builds pressure for that person to then get wickets.”

Moeen’s disciplined bowling performance helped set the stage for KKR’s chase. After limiting Rajasthan to a subpar total, KKR chased it down comfortably, thanks to Quinton de Kock’s scintillating 97*, sealing an 8-wicket victory with ease.

Reflecting on his debut for KKR, Moeen shared, “I’ve been practicing well, and I just try to be ready all the time. I got told this morning that Sunny [Narine] was not well and to just be ready whenever. Obviously, it’s hard to replace Sunny, but I felt like I did a nice job of it.”

Moeen’s performance was an essential contribution to KKR’s victory, proving his ability to step up when needed, even in a role that wasn’t originally planned.