IPL 2018: Playing for RCB will help me become a better player for England, says Moeen Ali

Virat Kohli is very pleased with Moeen's very important contribution to the win last night.

Moeen Ali pic credit IANS

Moeen Ali, the Royal Challengers Bangalore left-hand batsman, and off-spinner has come out and stated that playing for the Virat Kohli led side in the Indian Premier League this season will help him become a better white ball player internationally for England. 

Moeen has been dropped from England's Test team after his poor performances in the Ashes and on tour of New Zealand, where he failed to do justice for his role for the Joe Root side and right now wants to focus purely on the limited overs game to back in his groove. 

He was recently quoted saying, "I have really worked on my game and I feel going further in the future for RCB and for England, hopefully, it will help me become a better one-day player. Hopefully, it is going to improve my game,"

Moeen got a brilliant 34-ball 65 last night against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, that helped his team put a huge score of 218 for 6 in their 20 overs with the bat and eventually win the game. 

He credited two members of the RCB coaching management,  Gary Kirsten, and Trent Woodhill, for improvement in his batting. He said, "Yeah Gary and Trent Woodhill. I have worked the most with them on my batting. I am trying to hit the ball and be consistent in hitting boundaries. They have really opened my game and I feel going further for England, it will help me become a better ODI player and improve my game,"

Moeen is happy to have got the time to settle into the RCB set-up before actually playing on the field, as he said, "It was almost nice to have a break. I wasn't in great form coming here. It is just nice to go out and express myself. And for my own confidence and the team's confidence in me. Hopefully, we can keep going and I can keep this form going,"

Virat Kohli, the RCB Captain praised Moeen's effort to their much-needed win, and said, "Moeen's come in and done a great job for us. Three games he has bowled really well and tonight his knock was outstanding, so hats off to him for grabbing his opportunities," 

Virat also is pleased with the way young Mohammed Siraj was able to protect the 20 runs in the last over of the Sunrisers Hyderabad chase against the might of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey.  

Manish Pandey who was on the non-striker's end when Siraj bowled the first ball said, "Twenty runs. Kane (Williamson) was on strike, first ball when a wicket goes sometimes it is difficult to come up from there. Mohammed Siraj bowled really well to get those yorkers right on the spot. Probably if I would have connected a couple, we would have come closer, but they bowled better in the last five overs than us. That was the difference,"

He further said, "He(Kane Williamson) has done very well. He has got about 600 runs this IPL already. Captaincy... he has been using the bowlers really well. He is understanding the culture of the team and how to bring in our main spinners like Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan. They have been taking wickets for us and are real assets," 

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 18 May, 2018

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