England and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Moeen Ali has said that MS Dhoni backed him to play up the order in the IPL and suggested that the kind of backing he got from the skipper boosted his confidence.
Speaking at the traditional press conference prior to the upcoming third One Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka, Moeen credited Dhoni for backing him up during the 14th season of the cash-rich league.
"MS (Dhoni) backed me to bat up the order (for CSK) and play as I play for Worcester. It's nice to get that confidence from the captain. I get it here (England) as well. But we (England) have got so many world-class players it's difficult to get up the order," the left-hander said.
CSK have had a brilliant run in the first leg of the IPL which was suspended on May 4 after instances of Covid-19 cases within the franchises. The MS Dhoni-led side was sitting at the second position in the table with five wins and 10 points to their name when IPL was suspended.
Ali had been roped in by the CSK franchise for INR 7 crore in the mini auctions that took place in Chennai ahead of the IPL 2021. The all-rounder had notched up 206 runs and picked up five wickets for the side in the first leg of the competition.