Moeen Ali Praises 33-Year-Old Indian Batter, Says 'He's One Of The Best In The World'
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has reserved big praise for Indian Test opener KL Rahul by saying that the 33-year-old right-handed batter from Karnataka is one of the best players in the world. Rahul played all five matches for India in the recently concluded five-match series against England and, with the help of two centuries and two half-centuries, scored a total of 532 runs as opening batter.
While speaking on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, Moeen said that fans don't realise how good Rahul is as an opening batter, and he also praised him for his brilliant show with the bat in the away series.
'I think people don't realise how good KL (Rahul) in particular is at opening the batting. He was brilliant last series as well in England, and he's brilliant again this series. I actually think Shubman (Gill) scored the most runs and was outstanding, brilliant technique. But I thought KL's role within that side was probably the best I have seen him play over the… He's such a good player. I genuinely believe that he's one of the best players in the world, and I have said that for a while. Like, sometimes I just feel like he doesn't take the handbrake off, like, just free up a bit more, but generally I would say he's one of the best players in the world," he said.
In the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, Rahul scored a century in the second innings of the first Test played at Headingley in Leeds from June 20 to 24, and he also crossed the triple-figure mark in the first innings of the Lord's Test. However, his centuries went in vain on both occasions as India suffered a heartbreaking defeat.
The century in the Lord's Test, however, helped Rahul enter his name in the history books. He became the first Indian opener and overall second batter after Dilip Vengsarkar to score multiple Test centuries at Lord's. During his playing days for India in the late 1970s and 1980s, Vengsarkar scored three Test centuries at the Home of Cricket.
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