GUWAHATI: Moeen Ali was a last-minute addition to Kolkata Knight Riders' playing XI due to Sunil Narine's injury, and skipper Ajinkya Rahane couldn't be more delighted with the England off-spinner’s game-changing performance against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match on Wednesday.
On a tacky pitch where the ball was gripping and turning, Ali delivered a crucial spell, picking up 2 for 23, while Varun Chakravarthy provided solid support with 2 for 17. Their efforts restricted RR to 151 for nine, which KKR chased down in 17.3 overs.
"Moeen got his opportunity, and he bowled really well. Credit goes to our bowling unit too, who were always looking to pick wickets, especially Moeen," Rahane said at the post-match presentation.
When asked if Moeen was given any strategic instructions from the team management, Rahane denied it.
"Not much, complete freedom from our side. Moeen is a quality player who has opened in the past. He couldn't get going with the bat, but very happy with what he did with the ball. The challenge is to stay in the moment, and every game is an opportunity to learn," the KKR skipper added.
Moeen, who has already retired from international cricket, said he maintained his training intensity despite knowing he had to wait for his chance, given Chakravarthy and Narine's settled partnership.
"I have been practising well. I was told this morning that Sunil was not well. It was hard to replace Sunil, but I did a fair job."
Meanwhile, Royals skipper Riyan Parag felt they fell short of a competitive total.
"170 was going to be a really good score, that's what we were aiming for. I personally rushed a little bit, knowing the wicket here. Fell short by 20 runs. That was the plan, to get Quinny out early, but that didn't happen."
