Moeen Ali’s brilliant comeback puts rumors of Ben Stokes’ captaincy to rest

Ben Stokes, the England all-rounder, is considered by some to be a strong candidate to replace MS Dhoni as captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, his teammate Moeen Ali believes that while Stokes is a great player, the decision to make him captain is not imminent.

Stokes has led the England Test team to an impressive record of 10 wins in their last 12 matches. Moeen acknowledged Stokes’ achievements, saying, “He’s really enjoying himself. CSK is the type of franchise where you come here and you do tend to enjoy yourself and really love playing for this franchise. He’s settled in really well. He’s a big part of the team with his experience.”

When asked whether Stokes is part of CSK’s leadership group, Moeen explained, “There’s no real such leadership group: you have the captain and the coaches, and they talk. If Dhoni wants Ben Stokes’ advice, or a chat with him, it’s a very open environment in that changing room.”

It depends on what the franchise wants- Ali

Moeen acknowledged that Stokes could potentially succeed Dhoni as captain, but also noted that Chennai Super Kings has other talented players to consider. “I think there’s a chance [that Stokes succeeds Dhoni]; of course there’s a chance, because he’s obviously done really well in Test cricket,” he said. “But MS is still obviously in charge and he’s going to be captain for a while. We have some other guys as well: Ruturaj is a fantastic player with a good head on his shoulders, so it depends on what the franchise wants.”

Stokes has not had a strong start to his Indian T20 League campaign with CSK, scoring only 15 runs in two innings while nursing a knee injury. However, Moeen believes that Stokes will continue to play a vital role in the team. “If Dhoni wants Ben Stokes’ advice, or a chat with him, it’s a very open environment in that changing room,” he said. “He’s settled in really well. He’s a big part of the team with his experience.”

While Stokes’ success in Test cricket has led to speculation that he could become CSK’s next captain, Moeen Ali believes that the decision ultimately rests with the franchise. Regardless, Stokes will continue to play a key role in the team’s success.