Four-time IPL winners Chennai Super Kings will likely miss the services of their star allrounder Moeen Ali for the season-opening clash against Kolkata Knight Riders set to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai this Saturday. As per various media reports, Moeen, a frequent traveler to India, has faced delays in securing the visa necessary to travel to the country. For the 34-year-old to be able to play for CSK against KKR, he will have to land in Mumbai by Wednesday since there’s a mandatory quarantine period of three days to be fulfilled before entering IPL bio-bubble.

His absence though could open the door for New Zealand’s Devon Conway to make his IPL debut and open for CSK alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad – the orange cap winner of the last season as Super Kings defeated KKR in the final become champions. Moeen played a key role in their title run as he finished as their third-highest run-getter scoring 357 runs at an average of 25.50 and a strike rate of 137.20. He was also fifth on the list of the batters with most sixes during IPL 2021. “He had applied for his visa on February 28. It has been more than 20 days since the application was submitted.

He has been a frequent traveler to India and yet he has not got the travel papers. We are hoping he will join the team soon. He has told us that he will take the very next flight after getting the papers,” Kasi Viswanathan, the CEO of the CSK was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz last week. The Englishman has been in superb form for some time now having retired from Test cricket last year. He was a key member of the England squad that made the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in UAE last year.

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Chennai Super Kings Could be Without Moeen Ali

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings may miss the services of Moeen Ali for the IPL 2022 opener as the star England all-rounder is yet to receive his India visa for the 15th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament beginning in Mumbai on Saturday. CSK, four-time IPL champions, will take on last edition’s runner-up side Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match of this year’s IPL. “It is learned that Moeen would need to arrive in Mumbai by Wednesday to stand a chance of playing his team’s first match against 2021 runners-up Knight Riders,”  a report in ESPNcricinfo stated.

“Considering that Moeen would need to undergo the mandatory three-day quarantine to enter the IPL bio-secure environment, Super Kings’ management has accepted that the chances of him playing the opening match appear remote,” the report added.  The report further states that if Moeen fails to arrive on time, New Zealand batter Devon Conway is likely to make his IPL debut.  “The Super Kings will likely feel the pinch in their first match, considering Moeen’s off-spin would have been handy against Knight Riders’ trio of left-handers: Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, and Sunil Narine,” it read. 

Because of his fine all-around show which helped the team lift its fourth IPL title, Moeen was retained by CSK alongside inspirational captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Moeen scored 357 runs from 15 innings for CSK in the IPL last year, while also accounting for six wickets from 15 games with his off-spin bowling. “Considering that Moeen would need to undergo the mandatory three-day quarantine to enter the IPL bio-secure environment, Super Kings’ management has accepted that the chances of him playing the opening match appear remote,” the report added. 

The report further states that if Moeen fails to arrive on time, New Zealand batter Devon Conway is likely to make his IPL debut.