Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will miss the services of ace all-rounder Moeen Ali in their opening match of the Indian Premier League (2022) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 26 at the historic Wankhede Stadium.
Notably, Moeen is facing delay in securing the visa necessary to travel to India.
CSK CEO K.S Viswanathan has said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is working on assisting the franchise and Ali in srting out the visa issue and are expecting to get it sorted within a day or two.
“He has still not got his visa. We have also got in touch with BCCI. BCCI is also working on it. We are expecting that it will be done in a day or two. This is the position as of today. I cannot say that it will be done today. But we are expecting that it can be cleared today,” Viswanathan said.
“How many matches he will miss depends on when he comes in. Right now, he will miss the first game. Even if he comes tomorrow, he will not be able to play the first game. That is the position as of today. He is packed and ready. The minute he gets the visa, he will board the next flight to India,” he added.
Notably, Moeen had played a crucial role in CSK’s title run as he had finished as their third-highest run-getter after amassing 357 runs at an average of 25.50 and a strike-rate of 137.20 in the previous season. The England all-rounder was also the fifth in the list of the batters with most sixes during IPL 2021.
Moeen’s absence though could open the way for New Zealand’s Devon Conway to make his IPL debut and open for CSK alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Notably, the upcoming IPL season will begin on March 26 and will be played in a bio-secure environment at a single hub to avoid air travel, considered as a major threat for the spread of COVID-19 infection, thereby affecting the players and tournament.
While 55 matches are scheduled to be held in Mumbai, the remaining 15 games will be staged in Pune while the playoffs’ venues haven’t been decided yet. Is most likley that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad will stage the playoffs however, no official announcement has been made yet.
In the upcoming season, the 10 teams have been divided into two groups. While Group A comprises of Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, Group B includes Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans.
From this year onwards, the lucrative league will be a ten-team affair following the addition of the two new teams – Ahmedabad and Lucknow and will have a total of 74 games.