The resurgence of Chennai Super Kings in the now-postponed 14th edition of Indian Premier League has impressed not only their fans but also one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket, Sunil Gavaskar.
The three-time champions had a miserable outing in the IPL 2020 in UAE but they made a strong comeback this season with back-to-back wins.
CSK won five out of their seven matches in the IPL 2021 and were placed at the second position before the tournament was postponed due to rising number of COVID-19 cases.
According to Gavaskar, CSK’s decision to promote Moeen Ali up the order turned out to be a masterstroke for them during IPL 2021.
Batting at No.3, the England all-rounder smashed 206 runs in six games at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 157.25.
Lauding CSK’s performance during the first leg of the IPL 2021, Gavaskar pointed out that there was a “renewed energy” in the MS Dhoni-led side this time and it looked like a champion.
“All the other teams were in top form with last year’s disappointing team, CSK, looking like the champion it usually had been all these years. There was a renewed energy about the team this time, though there were no major changes to its squad,” the 71-year-old wrote in his column for Sportstar.
“The promotion of Moeen Ali to the top of the order at No. 3 turned out to be a masterstroke as the left-handed batsman produced some blistering innings,” he added