CSK vs GT: Who can Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Moeen Ali replace against GT?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be up against Gujarat Titans (GT) in their second IPL 2024 match on Tuesday (March 26).

CSK started off with a victory against RCB in the season opener and would be keen to continue their winning run in the tournament. MS Dhoni has passed over the captaincy baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad, but the team had a flawless outing at Chepauk in the last match.

CSK fielded three new overseas players in ther starting lineup against RCB as only Maheesh Theekshana had any prior IPL experience with CSK. Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell along with Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman were their other foreign players.

Out of them, Rachin Ravindra had a superb outing as the Kiwi youngster scored 37 runs with the bat. Daryl Mitchell played his part with a decent 22 runs, while Mustafizur was the star of the show with four wickets with the ball. Mustafizur Rahman was also awarded as the Player of the Match for his stellar bowling figures.

Moeen Ali was an unused substitute for CSK. Although Chennai won their first match, there have been speculations that the team may reinstate Moeen Ali for their next. Gujarat Titans batters have had a tendency of struggling with spin, and Moeen Ali can be a potent weapon for Gaikwad at the Chepauk pitch.

CSK vs GT: Will Moeen Ali play against Gujarat Titans?

Moeen Ali has traditionally been a top-notch performer for CSK, his experience and multifaceted quality make him an important cog in the Chennai setup.

But who can Moeen replace to feature against the Titans? Mustafizur Rahman won't be axed after his stellar outing in the last match. Rachin Ravindra also provided them a solid start with bat and the Kiwi is their replacement for Devon Conway, hence that won't be touched either.

The options remain two - Daryl Mitchell and Maheesh Theekshana. The former has a huge price tag of Rs 14 crore and although he scored 22 runs off 18 balls, CSK would definitely continue with him. Theekshana was expensive in the last match as the Sri Lankan spinner conceded 36 runs off his four overs.

Moeen Ali is a decent spinner and has a record of picking wickets while rolling his arms. The added factor of his batting thus creates an impelling case for the Englishman, but will CSK break their winning combination to slot in Moeen? That remains to be seen but looks like a difficult one.