Follow UsIf you’re a batting team that’s about to face Moeen Ali in the powerplay, then well, chances are that you’re going to end up struggling big time. And it won’t matter even if you have a right-hander out in the middle.
Moeen has been an IPL regular for the past decade but, of late, with the ball, he’s exclusively been used as a condition-specific, matchup-specific player. And when captains have deployed him in the powerplay, with the new ball, he’s been close to unplayable.
Since IPL 2022, Moeen has bowled six overs in the powerplay across four matches. His returns in these games in the first six? 26 runs off 36 balls while taking 3 wickets.
But if you go back further, the numbers say that Moeen is among the best powerplay bowlers in the competition’s history.
In IPL history, there have been a total of 240 bowlers who have bowled at least 10 overs in the powerplay. Among them, Moeen’s economy of 4.6 is the third-best EVER. And he’s the only one among the top three that’s bowled in the modern era, where batters go at the bowlers from ball one.
Best economy in the powerplay in IPL history (min 10 overs)
4.0 - Ali Murtaza
4.5 - Fidel Edwards
4.6 - Moeen Ali
4.9 - Anil Kumble
Today against KKR, with two lefties in the middle, Ajinkya Rahane threw the ball to Moeen in the very second over. The off-spinner began with a four-run over and then bowled a wicket maiden in his second over in the powerplay, dismissing Devon Conway LBW.
What was remarkable was that five of Moeen’s dots came against right-handed Rahul Tripathi, that too in consecutive deliveries. Incredibly enough, while bowling in the powerplay in the IPL, Moeen has an economy of 5.1 against left-handers and just 4.3 against right-handers.