On Monday, April 10, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, Glenn Maxwell defeated the Lucknow Supergiants with a brilliant innings of 59 runs off 29 balls. However, despite a collapse in the top order, LSG was able to chase down the target and defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by just one wicket in the thrilling thriller. Nicholas Pooran, a batter for the West Indies, hit the game-winning 62 in just 19 balls, and Marcus Stoinis, an all-rounder, started the innings with a crucial 65 in 30 balls.
For RCB, Maxwell has an outstanding overall record. In 31 matches, he has scored 890 runs at a strike rate of 155.32 and an average of 35.60. He has also used the ball sparingly, taking nine wickets in 41 overs at a rate of just 7.71.
There are three reasons Glenn Maxwell might win the RCB MVP award this season.
1) In Twenty20s, he is one of the best spin hitters.
RCB burned through ₹14.25 crores to sign Glenn Maxwell in front of IPL 2021. Given his poor performance in the Indian Premier League for the Punjab Kings in 2020, it was a significant risk. In any case, Bangalore were clear about his job all along.
Maxwell’s signing proved to be a masterstroke because he is one of the fastest batsmen against spin bowling and the team needed to get the most out of their returns in the middle overs.
Maxwell has scored 546 runs at a normal of 39 and a strike pace of 142 in overs seven to 16 for RCB. The opening pair of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis are able to freely participate in the powerplay because the Australian all-rounder is present in the middle overs.
2) Adds esteem in death overs when set
The majority of top-tier T20 batters, particularly anchors, have the ability to accelerate in the game’s final few overs. Dinesh Karthik is an expert finisher for RCB. At this point in the game, either du Plessis or Kohli will almost certainly destroy the opposition’s bowling attack if they are well-set.
Additionally, Glen Maxwell has a pretty impressive death overs record. He has scored 223 runs off 111 balls in the final four overs of the game on average over the past three seasons. That is a net positive score on the majority of days.
3) Good option for bowling part-time
It appears that RCB’s bowling is the team’s most pressing issue right now. They let the opposition recover despite cheaply dismissing the top order in all three games this season. LSG went from 99/5 to 213/9, Kolkata Knight Riders went from 89/5 to 204/7, and Mumbai Indians went from 48/4 to 172/7.
Their bowling unit will be strengthened by the additions of Josh Hazlewood and Wanindu Hasaranga, allowing Faf du Plessis to get a few runs out of Maxwell in the powerplay. In that phase, he has bowled 13 overs for RCB and taken three wickets at an economy rate of 7.36.
If the matchup is right, Maxwell can also help with a few overs in the middle. Because they have struggled with the ball in both the middle overs and the final overs, RCB can use him as a partnership breaker and a run saver.