Three players who can replace Moeen Ali for Chennai's opening game against Kolkata

As per the latest developments, Chennai all-rounder, Moeen Ali is set to miss out on his side's first game against Kolkata on March 26. This also happens to be the first game of the upcoming 15th season of the Indian T20 League. Ali couldn't join the team on time as his visa was delayed.

However, on March 24, it was confirmed that he has got his papers and is set to land in the country. However, given the quarantine norms, he will miss the opening game and will only be available for selection from the second game onwards. The likes of Dwayne Bravo, Devon Conway, and Adam Milne are likely to play. In this listicle, we will discuss three names who can replace Moeen Ali for the first game.

Three players who can replace Moeen Ali

1. Dwaine Pretorius

An all-rounder can be a perfect replacement for Ali. However, Ali and Pretorius are different kinds of all-rounders. The former is a spin-bowling all-rounder, while the latter is a pace-bowling all-rounder. However, the conditions in Mumbai are likely to favour fast bowling. Talking about the South Africa player, he has played 22 T20I, picking 23 wickets at an average of 19.47 and an economy rate of 7.76. With the bat, the right-hander has hit 170 runs down the order, averaging 24.28 and striking at 161.90. He is most likely to be included in the playing XI.

2. Mitchell Santner

The Kiwi player has been part of the team since 2018. Notably, he has played only six games for the team in the last four years. Surprisingly, they decided to buy him back during the auction last month. Maybe, the left-hander has been bought back for this is the kind of opportunity. Talking about his numbers with the bat and ball, the 30-year-old has played 62 T20Is and has 66 wickets to his name, averaging 22.95 at an economy rate of 7.27. With the bat, he has hit 358 runs, striking at 123.44. He is a like to like replacement to Ali. While he is not as good a batter as Ali, he is a specialist spinner to make things even.

3. Maheesh Theeksana 

The mystery spinner from Sri Lanka made his debut last year during the 20-20 World Cup in the UAE. Since then, he has played 15 games and picked 14 wickets, averaging 25.64 at an economy rate of 6.41. Chennai might decide to opt for an Indian batter so that they accommodate him in the team. This will strengthen bowling and batting. Notably, he was injured during the T20I series against India last month, where the team got hammered by 3-0. However, ahead of the tournament, he looks fit and raring to go.