Moeen Ali decides against sporting alcohol brand on CSK jersey, franchise grants leeway

With just days to go for the IPL 2021 to begin, England's star all-rounder Moeen Ali expressed displeasure at the logo of an alcohol brand on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) jersey. The English all-rounder who played for Bengaluru in IPL 2020 has made a special request to the Chennai management urging the franchise to remove the logo from his jersey as consumption of liquor is against his religious faith. 

The Chennai jersey sports the logo of SNJ Distilleries, which is a liquor manufacturer. Significantly, the franchise has also agreed to Ali's request and removed the brand logo from his jersey while other players continue to carry it. The English all-rounder had been bought in the recent IPL 2021 mini-auction for INR 7 crores. Moeen Ali has played 19 matches in the IPL so far scoring 309 runs along with accounting for 10 wickets.

Ahead of the IPL, Moeen Ali has also expressed his eagerness in playing under former India skipper MS Dhoni. Highlighting that several players have told him about how the Indian improves their game, Ali added that it is on every players 'wishlist' to play under Dhoni. "I’ve spoken to players who have played under MS and they tell me how he improves their game. I believe a great captain does that. I think it’s something on every player’s wish list to play under MS. I think it’s the confidence and the clarity he gives people. It’s exciting,” he said according to CSK’s official website.

CSK re-design jersey after 11 years

Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday launched their new jersey for the upcoming season, marking a change in the kit for the first time in 11 years. The bright yellow jersey, styled by Myntra, was unveiled by skipper MS Dhoni. The redesigned kit for IPL 2021 sports the symbolic lion on the front with camouflage straps on the shoulders. As per reports, the camouflage is a tribute to India's armed forces. 

While the Chennai Super Kings have a spectacular record at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, they are not slated to play any encounter at the venue. The CSK team 2021 will open their IPL 2021 campaign on April 10 as they take on the Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. After their underwhelming run in the UAE, the CSK side would be keen on staging a turnaround in this year's edition of the cash-rich league.