Moeen Ali Makes Move To Delhi Capitals’ Hundred Side
Moeen Ali, one of England’s most recognised all-rounders and former veterans, has made a significant return to The Hundred 2026.
He has now made a spectacular comeback into the tournament, all while playing for the Kandy Royals in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026.
Moeen Ali signed as an injury replacement for Thomas Rew.
Moeen Ali has been appointed as Southern Brave’s replacement after Thomas Rew was ruled out of the event due to an injury.
Southern Brave acknowledged the announcement on their official social media accounts and announced Moeen as his replacement.
For the uninitiated, Thomas Rew appeared in only one match for the Southern Brave in this round of the competition, against Welsh Fire on July 22, before suffering an injury.
The outstanding 18-year-old Englishman smashed 41 off 30 balls, hitting 136.67. However, because to an injury, he was forced to cut short his dream run in England’s premier 100-ball event, paving the way for Moeen Ali to play.
Southern Brave’s recruitment of Moeen also has an intriguing IPL connection. The franchise is owned by the GMR Group, who also control the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. GMR recently acquired full control of the Southampton-based franchise, having previously secured a majority position in Hampshire County Cricket Club.
The connection goes beyond ownership, with Delhi Capitals men’s head coach Hemang Badani currently working as Southern Brave’s head coach in The Hundred, further cementing the bond between the two franchises.
Moeen Ali Set To Feature In The Hundred Following Rejection.
Moeen Ali initially missed the nomination rounds before the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) denied his appeal for a retrospective inclusion on the long list.
Moeen came out of retirement in January 2026 to play for Yorkshire. However, his exclusion from the 126-player pool was due to an administrative rule governing preliminary franchise nominations, which was caused by an ECB mix-up.
The rule states that a player must be explicitly nominated as a target by at least one of the eight franchises during the preliminary nomination period. Because no franchise properly submitted his name before the March auction deadline, he was removed from the automatic bidding pool.
Moeen had registered with a high base price of £75,000, which limited his initial appeal to franchise strategists and analysts. Nonetheless, Moeen Ali has been signed by Southern Brave, where he hopes to repeat his previous heroics for the squad.
How has Moeen Ali been doing recently?
Ali, who has been playing in the LPL 2026, is anticipated to depart the tournament and join the Southern Brave camp soon, as his last match with Kandy Royals is on July 30. Moeen’s form in the LPL has been inconsistent, with him scoring 129 runs in seven innings with a strike rate of 141.76.
With the ball, he has been decent, taking five wickets in six innings at an economy rate of 8.82 and a strike rate of 20.00.
How will Moeen’s addition help the Southern Brave strengthen their squad?
Moeen Ali’s addition adds another quality all-rounder to Southern Brave’s roster, joining Marcus Stoinis and Nikhil Chaudhary. His arrival further enhances the spin department, as his right-arm off-spin complements Nikhil Chaudhary’s leg-break googlies and the seasoned Adil Rashid.
Although Thomas Rew and Moeen are not comparable replacements, Southern Brave’s decision is understandable given their present standing in the tournament. The Brave are currently eighth in the eight-team league, having won only one of their four matches thus far.
The senior cricketer has participated in The Hundred since 2021, with his most recent appearance in 2024. He has scored 635 runs in the event from 30 innings, while also taking 12 wickets, with his best bowling figures of 2 for 13.
