Ben Stokes To Succeed MS Dhoni As CSK Captain In IPL? Moeen Ali Hints About Big 'Chance'

England all-rounder Moeen Ali believes compatriot Ben Stokes to be an obvious candidate for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) once the current skipper MS Dhoni decides to call it quits. CSK splurged big money on Stokes in the IPL 2023 auction last year in December, but his performance has been underwhelming in two games so far, having scored 15 runs in two games and having bowled only one over. England's Test team has transformed under Stokes' leadership within nearly a year, winning 10 out of 12 matches under him. Moeen opines that Stokes' success with England makes him an easy choice to succeed Dhoni as a skipper, but feels that the change might not be imminent.

"He is really enjoying himself. CSK is the type of franchise where you come here and you do tend to enjoy yourself and really love playing for this franchise. He has settled in really well. He is a big part of the team with his experience," Ali was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo on Friday.

Questioned if Stokes was a part of the team's leadership group, Moeen said that there is no such thing as a leadership group in the team. "You have the captain and the coaches, and they talk. If Dhoni wants Ben Stokes' advice or a chat with him, it is a very open environment in that changing room," said Moeen.

Moeen also opines that Ruturaj Gaikwad, currently leading the race to Orange Cap in IPL 2023 with two half-centuries and 149 runs in two matches, is a potential CSK skipper for the future.

"I think there's a chance [that Stokes succeeds Dhoni]; of course there is a chance, because he has obviously done really well in Test cricket. But MS is still obviously in charge and he is going to be captain for a while. We have some other guys