'They have lost the art of batting in T20' - Moeen Ali blames IPL for India's lackluster performances in T20Is

Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has blamed the Indian Premier League (IPL) for India's recent poor performances in T20 cricket. The Men in Blue suffered a 2-0 series defeat at the hands of Ireland and are currently trailing 2-0 against the Three Lions in a five-match series.

Ali has criticised the Impact Player rule in the franchise tournament as one of the reasons behind India's collapse against England at Trent Bridge. The Yorkshire star claimed that the ruling has forced Indian batters to continue slogging despite losing wickets at the other end, knowing they can call in an extra batter towards the end. There is an art to building an innings in T20 cricket; something seems lost due to the Impact Rule in the IPL.

Ali was also critical of India's decision to send Harshit Rana ahead of a designated all-rounder, Shivam Dube, during their 125-run defeat in Nottingham. 

“The impact player makes a big difference in the IPL. I think they have lost the art of batting in T20 cricket. Whether you are three down, four down, or five down in the power play. Dube coming in at number eight and sending Rana ahead of him, I know it's because he is a right-hander, but you are picking a team full of left-handers; you can't just do that," Moeen Ali said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast. 

“I will always come back to the impact player in the IPL. I think it is taking away the art of batting in conditions and situations more than anything. You can't just come out and keep slogging from ball one. You have to pick the team well. With an impact player, you don't have to pick the team well and can just put in a batter or bowler. But there's no like after picking a side to these conditions,” he added. 

Chasing 202 in the third T20I, India were bundled out for just 76 in the second innings, handing them a heavy defeat. The manner in which the Indian batters lost wickets, particularly in the powerplay, caught the eye, with players slogging despite the collapse happening at the other end.