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While the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is in full swing, Moeen Ali has just revealed his all-time IPL XI, which is studded with five Indian players. His lineup includes big names like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Hardik Pandya. Interestingly, Moeen Ali has chosen MS Dhoni to captain his dream IPL team, but he has surprisingly left out bigwigs like Rohit Sharma and AB de Villiers.
The former England all-rounder also didn't include Gautam Gambhir, who has captained his teams to two IPL victories. However, the most talked-about omission is undoubtedly Rohit Sharma. He's led the Mumbai Indians to a record five IPL titles and is one of the highest run-scorers in the tournament's history, making his exclusion a major surprise.
Moeen shared his all-time IPL XI during a chat with Beard Before Wicket.
Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli openers in Moeen Ali's IPL XI
Kicking off his dream team at the top of the order, Moeen Ali went with two of the most legendary openers in T20 cricket history, the explosive Chris Gayle and run-machine Virat Kohli. Having shared the Royal Challengers Bangalore dressing room with both Gayle and Kohli during his time in the IPL, Moeen had firsthand experience of their capabilities. He explained that Gayle's sheer dominance and reputation as one of the most dangerous T20 batsmen ever made him an obvious choice. As for Kohli, Moeen praised his unparalleled consistency and mastery in run chases, making them the perfect opening pair for his all-time best IPL XI.
Moving down the batting order, the crucial number three spot in Moeen's dream team is filled by none other than Kieron Pollard, the hard-hitting all-rounder who has been a force for both the West Indies and the Mumbai Indians. Known for his ability to single-handedly change the course of a game with both his powerful batting and handy bowling, Pollard brings a formidable edge to Moeen's all-time IPL XI.
Moeen then put together a fearsome middle order, selecting the powerful Caribbean duo of Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo alongside Indian stars Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. These four dynamic all-rounders, each capable of hitting massive sixes and providing crucial wickets, make Moeen's all-time best IPL XI look practically unstoppable.
Finally, the KKR spinner named the legendary MS Dhoni as both the captain and wicket-keeper of his dream XI. Dhoni's exceptional captaincy record speaks for itself, having won every major ICC trophy and led the Chennai Super Kings to five IPL titles. Moeen himself has played under MS Dhoni's captaincy during his time with CSK in the IPL. For his pace attack, Ali chose the sensational South African speedster Kagiso Rabada and India's leading fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. Together, they form a truly lethal duo that could trouble any batting lineup.
To handle the spin department, Moeen placed his trust in the Afghan spin maestro Rashid Khan. Known for his uncanny ability to deceive even the best batsmen with his magical deliveries across all formats of the game, Rashid will spearhead Moeen's spin attack. He'll have the capable assistance of Ravindra Jadeja's spin bowling, while the seam bowling contributions from Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, and Dwayne Bravo will provide crucial support to the pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada from the other end.
Moeen Ali's all-time IPL XI looks like this:
Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Hardik Pandya, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah.
