News Analysis India

Tag: Glenn Maxwell

  • IPL 2021: Kohli completes 10,000 T20 runs, Maxwell smashes 56 as RCB post 165/6

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Glenn Maxwell finally came good with an attacking 56 after skipper Virat Kohli’s second consecutive half-century, taking Royal Challengers Bangalore to a par-score of 165/6 against Mumbai Indians in the IPL here on Sunday.

    Kohli, who completed 10,000 runs in T20 cricket, scored 51 off 42 balls with three fours and three sixes but it was Maxwell who justified his expensive price tag with a 37-ball blitzkrieg before Jasprit Bumrah brought MI back in the game.

    Maxwell’s innings had six fours and three sixes as he showed true destructive potential with switch hits, lap shots and flicks during the final overs when he launched into MI pacers Adam Milne (1/48 in 4 overs) and Bumrah (3/26 in 4 overs) with utter disdain.

    Such was the ferocity of Maxwell’s hits that even the normally calm MI skipper Rohit Sharma looked helpless before Bumrah removed both Maxwell and AB de villiers (11) off successive deliveries which at least helped them save 20 to 25 runs in the final two overs.

    At the onset, Kohli hit the very second ball of the match from Trent Boult (1/17 in 4 overs) for a six.

    It was an inswinger which the RCB skipper flicked and Rahul Chahar at deep mid-wicket got his palms but couldn’t latch on to it.

    The normally dependable Devdutt Padikkal (0) had an off-day as Bumrah bowled a beauty which pitched on length and moved away taking the outside edge into Quinton de Kock’s gloves.

    Kohli found a confident partner in Bharat (32 off 24 balls) as they quickly added 68 runs for the second wicket.

    Bharath for good measure swept Rahul Chahar against the turn for two sixes while Kohli also imperiously pulled Bumrah for a six over deep mid-wicket.

    However Bharat couldn’t convert his start as Chahar bowled one straight and full and the batter didn’t get the required elevation being holed at long-off boundary.

    Once Bharat was out and Maxwell came in, RCB despite some great shots couldn’t force the pace as Kohli and Maxwell added 50 runs in seven overs which can never be termed scoring at a great clip.

    Maxwell did entertain the crowd with a switch hit six off Chahar.

    Kohli also got a reprieve when he tried to cut Chahar and Hardik Pandya at point made a mess of an easy catch by trying to dive when all he required was to move a few paces to grab a regulation catch.

    It was a day when the Indian captain was expected to convert his half-century into a big score but he failed to control the pull shot to a delivery from Adam Milne that had extra bounce and substitute fielder Anukul took a great catch running from mid-wicket boundary.

    Once Kohli was gone, Maxwell once again upped the tempo with the former Proteas skipper AB de Villiers also hitting a six over long-on off Bumrah.

    Maxwell picked Milne’s knuckle ball for a second switch hit six and then for good measure used his pace to hit a switch lap shot as RCB crossed the 160-run mark.

  • Glenn Maxwell is at his best when allowed to play freely: Parthiv Patel

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Former Team India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel feels Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Glenn Maxwell is at his best when the all-rounder is allowed to play freely the way he wants to.

    “I think there are certain players; they flourish in a certain atmosphere. I think, sometimes, you do not put a lot of pressure on them; you just allow that player to be what they are, and sometimes that makes a big difference to the player psyche,” Parthiv said on Star Sports show Game Plan.

    “I think you will have to give a pat on the back to RCB’s management here. Glenn Maxwell, we all know what he could do, but then to allow him to be what he is and just be as free as possible. So, you will have to give the credit to RCB’s team management here for allowing him to play the way he wants to.”

    Australia all-rounder Maxwell reckons that playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) before the T20 World Cup will give ample time to Australian batsmen to get used to the conditions in the UAE.

    Australia has been drawn in a tough group in the Super 12 stage alongside defending champions West Indies, world number one England and South Africa.

    “The fact we’ve got a lot of guys going over for the IPL as a preparation, get a few games in those conditions, it’s going to do wonders for our batters. Our bowlers are going to be up and firing by the time the tournament starts. I can assure you everyone is looking forward to hitting the ground running over there,” Maxwell told icc-cricket.com.

    “The tournament being in UAE probably levels the playing field a little bit. Probably makes it a little bit easier for there not to be as much of a home ground advantage. For the IPL to be there to have a lot of international players that are potentially going to be in that World Cup over there playing, I think it’s probably levelled the playing field a fair bit,” he added.

  • Enjoy playing with Glenn Maxwell, we both want to have an impact: RCB batsman AB de Villiers

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman AB de Villiers has said that he enjoys playing with Glenn Maxwell as both of them are similar kind of players who always want to leave an impact in the game.

    Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers’ knocks of 78 and 76 were backed up a spirited bowling performance as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 38 runs on Sunday here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    “I have worked really hard in the last few months. I did not expect to be playing really good cricket at the moment but I am very happy, I always give my best shot when I play for RCB. It was a very hot day, we lost couple of wickets early but I am very happy that we came through. I laid out a good foundation and then their leg-spinner (Varun Chakravarthy) came on, I sensed he was bowling defensively and I realised that was my moment. When Russell came on, he was stuck with wide deliveries, I opened up and it put him under pressure,” AB de Villiers told Yuzvendra Chahal in a video posted on the official website of IPL.

    “When I came out to bat, I realised Maxwell was tired and he told me that he does not want to run much. To be honest, we enjoy playing together. We are similar players with a lot of energy and we love having an impact for the team. When I came out to bat, the thought was to get a base together and get a partnership going. I knew if we get a partnership, we will sense a weakness somewhere which we did,” he added.

    Andre Russell played a knock of 31 runs for KKR, but in the end, RCB managed to hold on to record their third victory in a row this season. This is the first time that RCB has managed to win their first three games in an IPL season.

    Earlier, RCB might have been 9/2 in the second over, but Maxwell and de Villiers’ knocks of 78 and 76 ensured that the side posts a total of 204/4 in the allotted twenty overs.

    Along with Maxwell and de Villiers, Devdutt Padikkal and Kyle Jamieson also played knocks of 25 and 11 respectively. For KKR, Varun Chakravarthy returned with two wickets.

  • Glenn Maxwell at home with Royal Challengers Bangalore post encounter with Kolkata Knight Riders

    Express News Service
    CHENNAI: Even before the IPL auction in February, stars had aligned for Glenn Maxwell. That Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore – the eventual settlement for the all-rounder – would go big for him at the auction might have come as a surprise, but there was more to it.

    Despite Maxwell tallying only 169 and 108 runs in his last two IPL seasons in 2018 and 2020, the two franchises believed in a different set-up. Without the burden of being the face of their overseas recruit, the Australian, they believed, could thrive.

    Bangalore, especially, believed his close proximity to captain Virat Kohli and the feeling of making him wanted would do a world of good for a player, who had had mental health issues not so long ago.  

    From the moment, Bangalore bought him at the auction spending Rs 14.25 crore, they not only placed faith on him, but believed that in a team also having Kohli and AB de Villiers, there would be less pressure on Maxwell.

    To place that kind of faith on a player who hadn’t crossed fifty in his last two IPL editions was a big punt. But it was the sort of trust that make players like Maxwell feel at home. The arrival of Sanjay Bangar as batting consultant, under whom Maxwell tallied 552 runs, also shouldn’t be overlooked. Bangalore have done all that they can to make him feel valuable.

    “The most important thing is he looks happier. Generally as a sportsperson you would like to be in a good space where you are enjoying the time with your teammates, you feel confident about your own game. In order to feel confident, you need to prepare well and I think Maxi has prepared well. He also had a strong series against New Zealand before the IPL,” said De Villiers who scored 76 on Sunday.

    “Lot of things have added up. Think he always wanted to be at RCB and he had mentioned it a few times. All in all, he looks happy. The two of us have had nice chats about life in general, his Aussie team, his dreams moving forward and what he wants to achieve,” he said.

    “We have played at such a high level that we are not going tell each other what we have to do out there anymore. Here he feels Virat, myself, the support staff and teammates back him. We know he has got extra-ordinary talent and to blossom, somoene must be in a happy space that he is in now,” he added.

    Maxwell knows his isn’t the first overseas name on the team list at RCB, something he hasn’t been accustomed to. Perhaps it was a load too much to take for Maxwell, whose game is either blow hot or cold.

    On Sunday when he walked into the middle in the third over against Kolkata Knight Riders, Bangalore were in a spot of bother thanks to Varun Chakravarthy’s twin strikes in his first over on a Chepauk pitch were the ball came on to the bat nicely for a change.

    RCB’s decision to hold back De Villiers meant, instead of carrying on with Varun, Kolkata held him back. It allowed Maxwell to not only to find his groove, but wrestle the momentum back from Kolkata. By the time Varun came back in the eighth over, Maxwell, well and truly in, hit him for a six and a four.

    Kolkata didn’t come prepared for Maxwell. They would have done their homework for Kohli, De Villiers, but not Maxwell However, it lasted 49 deliveries, by which time the Australian had 78 to his name, his second-successive fifty in this edition. “In the past, we didn’t have to bother much about the planning as he hadn’t been in top form,” KKR coach Brendon McCullum admitted.

    “But it appears he has come with a refreshed attitude and wants to hit the ball far from ball one. He has taken the game on and we have seen him be successful at the Big Bash and for Australia with same kind of attitude. He is confident at the moment, he clearly took the game away from us at a crunch time when we were on top,” he said.

  • AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell power RCB to 204/4 against KKR

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: AB de Villiers’ master class and Glenn Maxwell’s counter-attacking half-century propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore to an imposing 204 for four against Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL match, here on Sunday.

    RCB scored 56 runs in the last three overs, including 21 in the final six deliveries, to set KKR a stiff target after electing to bat.

    De Villiers blazed away to 76 off 34 balls with the help of nine fours and three sixes, while Maxwell made 78 off 49.

    The Australian too hit nine boundaries and three sixes.

    The Knight Riders were off to a brilliant start with leg-break bowler Varun Chakravarthy leaving RCB in early trouble at 9/2 with the big wickets of skipper Virat Kohli (5) and Rajat Patidar (1) in the second over.

    Opening the bowling for KKR, veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh bowled a tight line and length to stifle the RCB batsmen in his first two overs.

    After Chakravarthy lured Kohli to go over cover with a tossed-up delivery that drifted away from the right-hander, Rahul Tripathi pulled off a sensational catch running back from extra-cover.

    The top batsman was nowhere close to the ball.

    Chakravarthy then went through the defence of Patidar with one that darted back on landing.

    Mixing aggression with caution, Maxwell and Devdutt Padikkal (25) revived the RCB innings after the early blows at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    While the young Indian seemed content playing the second fiddle, the swashbuckling Australian counter-attacked in fine fashion and played the big shots with consummate ease.

    The in-form Maxwell upped the ante when he cleared his front leg to plonk Shakib Al Hasan over long-on for his first maximum in the sixth over.

    The one bowled by Shakib turned out to be a productive over for RCB as they got 17 runs off it.

    After reaching 45 for two at the end of the six powerplay overs, Maxwell shifted gears and raced to his half-century in just 28 balls.

    Even Chakravarthy, who was on fire some time ago, was not spared by Maxwell as he smashed him for a six and four off successive balls.

    Prasidh Krishna ended the third-wicket partnership of 86 runs by sending back Padikkal, which signalled the arrival of De Villiers in the middle.

    Joining forces, the dazzling duo of Maxwell and De Villiers did not allow the KKR bowlers to settle into any sort of rhythm until premier pacer Pat Cummins ended their 53-run association.

    After that, the show belonged to De Villiers as he toyed with KKR bowlers.

  • Glenn Maxwell might just end up being player of IPL 2021: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan feels Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell might end up as the player of the tournament in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

    Maxwell might have a bad season last year in the 13th edition of the IPL but the Royal Challengers Banglore (RCB) batsman has been in sensational form.

    In Chennai, where most of the batsmen have struggled to get going, Maxwell has come out firing on all cylinders. In the ongoing match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Varun Chakravarthy had put RCB on the back foot with two wickets in the second over but Maxwell fired a sensational half-century to put the Virat Kohli-led side on top.

    “Love watching @Gmaxi_32Bat. He might just end up being the player of the tournament .. slightly under the radar in the same team as @imVkohli& @ABdeVilliers17!!! @RCBTweets looking the strongest I have seen them … #IPL2021,” Vaughan tweeted.

    Kohli and Rajat Patidar both went for a single-digit score but the Australian all-rounder made sure RCB were right on track after the early blows.

    Maxwell is also the leading run-scorer in the ongoing tournament and has been a standout performer for RCB in this year’s IPL.

    Earlier, RCB won the toss and opted to bat against KKR here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    RCB made one change to their lineup as the side brought in Rajat in place of Daniel Christian. On the other hand, KKR did not make any change to their playing XI from the last game.

    RCB has won both its opening two games this season while KKR have managed to win one game and lose another.

  • Having guys like AB de Villiers to bat after me is a luxury, says RCB’s Glenn Maxwell

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: After playing a match-winning knock of 59 runs against SunRisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell said that he has benefitted with the comfort of knowing that talisman AB de Villiers will be batting behind him.

    RCB defeated SRH by six runs in a thrilling encounter here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday. David Warner’s half-century had put SRH on course for victory but Shahbaz Ahmed ran through the middle-order to help RCB register its second consecutive win of the tournament.

    “It’s a very nice start, new franchise for me and they have given me a specific role. To start like this is really nice. It’s nice to have batters behind you, you have freedom with AB to come and it’s a very similar role I have in the Australian cricket team. The support staff have been backing me as well. It’s just about using the experience. Get myself in and then go for the runs. Probably having those guys behind me is a luxury at RCB,” Maxwell told host broadcaster Star Sports at the post-match presentation.

    “Maybe was pushed a bit too deep and expected to go from ball one, which I am not pretty good at. Maybe a bit of culture thing as well. Obviously.. I think it’s my 4th IPL team and there’s a bit of pressure. So it was really key for me to turn up and do well. I will wait for my chance to bowl. Washi is a superstar for us. The more I don’t bowl and hopefully I can keep contributing with the bat, the more happy I will be,” he added.

    SRH had won the toss and asked RCB to bat first. Maxwell scored a gutsy half-century to ensure that RCB, despite losing a flurry of wickets in the second half of their innings, set up a 150-run target.

    SRH was right on track for a win with Warner and Manish Pandey stitching an 83-run stand for the second wicket but the side lost the plot in the middle overs. SRH collapsed from 96/1 to 123/6 within 4.4 overs and managed to reach 143/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Shahbaz picked three key wickets and delivered when RCB needed him the most.

  • Maxwell lifts Royal Challenger Bangalore to 149/8 against Sunrisers Hyderabad

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: Glenn Maxwell hit a 41-ball 59 to lift Royal Challenger Bangalore to a modest 149 for eight against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League match here on Wednesday.

    SRH bowlers, led by West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder (3/30) and star spinner Rashid Khan (2/18), put up superlative show and picked up wickets at regular intervals.

    For RCB, Maxwell was the top scorer, hitting five fours and three maximums with skipper Virat Kohli (33) Shahbaz Ahmed (14) and Kyle Jamieson (12) providing valuable contributions.

    Put in to bat, RCB were off to a decent start with Kohli and opener Devdutt Padikkal (11) hitting a few boundaries.

    However, Sunrisers didn’t have to wait long for their first breakthrough as a back of the length delivery in the third over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/30) spelled the end of Padikkal, who had returned after recovering from COVID-19.

    Shahbaz Ahmed was the next to depart after playing a quick cameo, leaving RCB at 47 for two.

    At the halfway mark, Maxwell raised the tempo as the big-hitting Australian smashed Shahbaz Nadeem (1/36) for two sixes and a four in the first three balls of the 11th over, with Kohli joining the party with a boundary.

    The two stitched a 44-run partnership before Jason Holder got rid of the RCB skipper as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.

    With AB de Villiers in the middle, SRH captain David Warner introduced spin once again, bringing on versatile leg-spinner Rashid, and the move immediately paid dividends.

    The dangerous South African slapped the ball straight to Warner at covers with the slow nature of the Chepauk track coming to the fore once again.

    The Afghan spinner struck once again, getting rid of Washinton Sundar (8).

    With Dan Christian also gone, Maxwell smashed three fours and a maximum in the last three overs.

  • Virat Kohli floated idea of me joining Royal Challengers Bangalore during Australia tour: Glenn Maxwell

    Glenn Maxwell was the focus of a bidding war between RCB and CSK which led to him eventually being sold for a whopping Rs 14.25 crore.

  • IPL 2014 made people back home believe I was sub-continent specialist: RCB all-rounder Glenn Maxwell

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has said that the 2014 Indian Premier League (IPL) performance made people in Australia believe that he was a sub-continent specialist.

    Maxwell played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2014. The first leg of that tournament was played in the UAE, and Maxwell was able to light up the tournament and that edition saw the best of the right-handed batsman.

    “I have been a massive beneficiary of the IPL. It is certainly fast-tracked my international T20 career, I have been able to experience the Indian conditions, we had an IPL in Dubai in 2014 and I was able to perform really well over there. After that, I got a bit pigeon-holed in Australia over being a sub-continent specialist. It got me a few ODIs and Test tours which I probably would not have been able to do so if not for the IPL,” Maxwell said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.

    “I still remember chatting with Sachin Tendulkar in my first year at the IPL, the fact the I was an Aussie, I joked with him, I think he liked that. He was brilliant with the sort of way he opened up his world to him. Every year you come to the IPL, it is a massive learning experience,” he added.

    In the first game of IPL 2021, Maxwell played a knock of 39 runs to help RCB defeat Mumbai Indians by two wickets here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Maxwell revealed how the build-up for the IPL auction was for him and how teammate Adam Zampa had a funny role in RCB picking him.

    “There is actually a funny story, the day of the auction, we were training on the day of the auction in New Zealand while we were in quarantine. Adam Zampa had his RCB hat in his bag and he took out it, and he made sure to send a photo to Virat saying let’s have Maxwell in our team. It was like Zampa saying Virat congratulations, I have already given Maxwell his RCB cap. It all happened really well, it would have looked silly if it did not work out this way. Virat said you guys are idiots after Zampa sent him the picture,” said Maxwell.

    Speaking about his bond with spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, Maxwell said: “I am certainly looking forward to playing with my little friend (Yuzvendra Chahal). He has already played a few pranks on me since I have been here. We were in the squad together in 2013 while playing for Mumbai Indians so we have been friends for a long time, we have been close ever since and every time we come up against each other, we hug before the game. We always try to have fun and keep smiles on the faces.”

    Maxwell also said that the Indian talent in the RCB side is quite impressive and it will push the foreign players to keep performing day and day out this season.

    “I think I look at the depth of the Indian talent RCB has got, it is something that really excited me. It is pretty scary how talented these young kids are. It puts pressure on our international stars to keep performing. You want pressure coming from underneath, we have to make sure that we are performing for RCB. We have got specialist openers and very good Indian bowlers. You have Chahal, who is going to be massive for us this year,” said Maxwell.