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Tag: Royal Challengers Bangalore

  • Glenn Maxwell finally opens up on hitting first six in IPL after 1079 days

    By Online Desk
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Glenn Maxwell has said that he certainly felt good after hitting two sixes against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 opener as he failed to hit a single six last year.

    Maxwell had played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) last year and he had a dismal run, scoring just above 100 runs. During his stint, the right-handed batsman did not manage to hit a single six for the side.

    But in the IPL 2021 opener, the batsman managed to change his fortunes as he played a knock of 39 runs, including two sixes. RCB defeated Mumbai Indians by two wickets in a thrilling encounter on Friday here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

    “It certainly felt good. I did not hit a single six last year, I did remind Virat of me not hitting a six last year. To hit one out of the middle, it is a bit of monkey of the back. It is nice to start well and to have the captain at the other end, it makes my job a little easier,” Maxwell told Harshal Patel in a video posted on the official website of IPL.

    Harshal Patel delivered a stunning bowling performance before AB de Villiers’ masterclass as RCB defeated Mumbai Indians by two wickets. Harshal had picked five wickets (three in the final over) to restrict Mumbai Indians to 159 runs in the allotted 20 overs and as a result, he became the first bowler a take a fifer against Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

    In response, RCB got over the line on the last ball, courtesy of some fine hitting by De Villiers in the death overs. For RCB, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers played knocks of 39 and 48 respectively. Skipper Virat Kohli also played a 33-run knock of 29 balls.

    “Obviously, it felt great. It was my first fifer ever in T20s, that felt special and this coming against such a good batting lineup, it was cherry on top. The ball started tailing a bit so I wanted to hit them on the toes and if they miss, it will hit the stumps and I knew if they are waiting for the yorkers, my slower balls can be really deceptive. So, I was just trying to mix it up and get as many wickets as I can,” Harshal told Maxwell.

    “I told AB de Villiers when I got there that I am there with you and we are going to win this game. Obviously, whenever you hit the winning runs, it does not matter whether it is a boundary or a single, it is a special feeling. Great day on the field,” he added.

    (With inputs from ANI)

  • IPL 2021: Virat and I set platform for ‘superstar’ AB de Villiers, says Glenn Maxwell

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Glenn Maxwell has said that he along with skipper Virat Kohli set the perfect launchpad for AB de Villiers to finish off the game against Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

    The Proteas batsman played a knock of 48 runs off just 27 balls with the help of four 4s and two 6s to help RCB defeat Mumbai Indians by two wickets in the tournament opener on Friday here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

    “It was nice to go out there and bat with the captain (Virat Kohli). Nice to not run him out in the first few balls, we were able to have a partnership and that was pretty cool. It would have been nice if one of us was there to finish it off but we set the platform for ABD to do his thing, he is an absolute superstar,” Maxwell said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.

    Speaking about his innings and the match, de Villiers said: “I am very happy with the result, it was a fantastic performance from all of us. We had a shaky start here and there, you can see we have not been together for a while but there were some special individual performances. At halftime, I knew it would be a hard total to chase, it is not an easy wicket. Luckily, we had some experience there to stay calm at the latter stages of the game, what a great win against trophy holders Mumbai Indians.”

    Harshal Patel delivered a stunning bowling performance before AB de Villiers’ masterclass as RCB defeated Mumbai Indians by two wickets. He had picked five wickets (three in the final over) to restrict Mumbai Indians to 159 runs in the allotted 20 overs and as a result, he became the first bowler a take a fifer against Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

    In response, RCB got over the line on the last ball, courtesy of some fine hitting by de Villiers in the death overs. For RCB, Maxwell and de Villiers played knocks of 39 and 48 respectively. Kohli also played a 33-run knock of 29 balls.

    “Harshal was outstanding, I think his first over went for 15, to come back from that and record 5-12 in his last three overs, his final over was brilliant against the backend hitters. He used his yorkers, slower balls, and his execution under pressure was brilliant and massive reason why we were able to keep the score under 160. AB just assessed the conditions as he needed to do on that wicket. He went on to do AB things, some of the shots he played had the guys in awe. He is class,” said Maxwell. 

  • Can’t think of more exciting game to start the season: Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the opening game of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) season against Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli said that he expects a great game against the defending champions and added that the side will focus on their skills and strength.

    The 14th edition of the IPL will commence on Friday with rivals Mumbai Indians locking horns with Kohli-led RCB at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

    “I truly believe that we have to focus on our skills and our strengths as a side. Mumbai, obviously, is a champion team they know how to win this competition, we know the strength of their team so if focus too much on that then we are not gonna focus on what we can do. At the end of the day, you are playing cricket which is played on the day in the moment and you could be better than any other guy in the world at that moment,” Kohli said in a video posted by the RCB on their official Twitter handle.

    “Coming up against Mumbai is always an exciting challenge. Last year, we had two exciting games and we won one and they won the second one which was obviously close and they came through because they have such a strong team. The first one was a cliff-hanger as well big scores and Super Over. We expect a great game to start off the IPL. I can’t think of a more exciting or highly skilled intense game to start off the IPL,” he added.

    RCB’s star player AB de Villiers added that with some new faces in the squad it will a tough game for Mumbai Indians to get over the line. “We all are very excited and Mumbai Indians are fantastic. We know we are up against experienced players in the line-up so do we, I’m very excited to see what we made off. We got some new faces this year, good experience with them. Daniel Christian, Maxwell coming into the set-up Dan Sams, Kane Richardson. I can name all the guys. I know it is a tough game first up but I think it is going to be tough for Mumbai as well,” De Villiers said.

    RCB support staff also look forward to the game against the five-time champion side Mumbai.

    “We know we have to play well, we got some good match-ups against them. Last year, we played nicely against them and it was 1-1. We hit our opportunities in both games so we look forward to that,” Director of Cricket Mike Hesson said.

    “Everyone is pumped and ready to go. We had a good week in Chennai and managed to get the most out of our boys. Really good feel, a lot of energy. There is always excitement for the first game of the IPL. Boys are gonna be up playing against Mumbai,” head coach Simon Katich added.

  • My dream is to be the highest wicket-taker for India: RCB’s Mohammed Siraj

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: Fast-rising pacer Mohammed Siraj is ready to put in the hard yards and make full use of the opportunities that will help him realise a long-cherished dream of becoming India’s highest wicket-taker The 27-year-old has played five Tests, one ODI and three T20Is for India so far after making his debut in the shortest format against New Zealand in November, 2017.

    Siraj, who plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, said he wants to play all the three formats and credited his success to fellow pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma.

    “Jasprit Bumrah used to stand beside me whenever I was bowling. He told me to stick to the basics and not do something extra. It’s nice to learn from such an experienced player,” Siraj said in a video posted by RCB on its official Twitter handle.

    “I even played with Ishant Sharma, he has played 100 Tests. It felt good to share the dressing room with him. My dream is to be the highest wicket-taker for India and I will work hard whenever I get an opportunity.”

    A key pacer for RCB, Siraj, who has captured 39 wickets in 35 IPL matches, said he was low on confidence when he first joined the squad but a good performance against KKR lifted his spirits.

    “Last year, when I joined RCB, I was low on confidence. But when I started bowling with the new ball, I was also bowling on a single wicket, which helped me a lot,” he said.

    “And then the performance against KKR gave me a lot of confidence. The team culture here is so nice that everyone used to get together and discuss stuff like Virat does.”

    Siraj said he will look to continue his aggressive bowling after getting a good feedback from RCB’s batting consultant Sanjay Bangar.

    “I was talking to Sanjay sir. He told me that my rhythm is good. I am meeting you after so long but you are putting in the same effort that you used to put for the Indian team. Your rhythm, aggression and confidence …it is all looking nice, so continue that.”

    Siraj has been on an impressive run since making his Test debut in Australia last December.

    It was an emotional tour for Siraj as he had lost his father while undergoing quarantine in Australia.

    “During Australia tour, I was in quarantine and when we came back from practice, I got to know my father passed away. Unfortunately, no one could come to my room,” Siraj said.

    “I called home and my fiance, mother were very supportive and they told me that I need to fulfill my father’s dream of seeing me play for India.”

    Talking about his relation with India bowling coach Bharat Arun, Siraj said: “Arun sir treats me like a son.

    When I talk to him, it boosts my confidence.

    When he was in Hyderabad, he always told me to focus on line and length.

    “I want to play all three formats for India. Whatever opportunities I get, I want to give my 100 per cent and grab them with both hands. There is a series against England after the IPL, I will give my best.”

    On living inside a bio-bubble, Siraj said: “Bubble life is really difficult because can’t step out.

    But this is helping players become stronger.

    Now there is more time to think about performance.

    “I was working hard on my fitness during the lockdown, when I bowled during the (Australia) Test series, I realised how much it helped me,” he concluded.

  • Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers’ presence will hopefully allow Glenn Maxwell to have a good IPL, feels Daniel Vettori

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori said that Glenn Maxwell will have an amazing season in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as the Australian all-rounder will feel less pressure while playing with skipper Virat Kohli and star batsman AB de Villiers.

    In IPL 2021, Maxwell will don RCB colours after he was bought by the franchise for Rs 14.25 crore. In the past, Maxwell has represented Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).

    “The emphasis normally is on AB and Kohli, and Maxwell in a way can fly under the radar. Hopefully, that lack of pressure will allow him to have an IPL that everyone expects him to most years,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Vettori as saying.

    Former RCB coach further said that responsibility brings the most out of Maxwell and added that he should be part of the leadership group along with Kohli and De Villiers.

    “Where he’s been successful, particularly at Melbourne Stars, he’s been engaged, he’s been captain and he’s been the senior player. He’s been given a lot of responsibility and I think that’s where teams tend to get the best out of him. Even though de Villiers and Kohli are the focal points, if they can spread that leadership across him, I think that will be the best way to utilise him.”

    Maxwell just managed to accumulate 108 runs off 13 games last season. The all-rounder also failed to hit a single six for the first time in his eight-season IPL career. Maxwell will hope that the change in the franchise will bring a change in fortune as well for him.

    IPL 2021 will commence on April 9 with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) locking horns in the tournament opener.

  • You forget how to have conversation with people outside: Glenn Maxwell on challenges of bubble life

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell who has had issues with mental health in the past, has spoken about the challenges of the bio-bubble life and how it can take a toll on the players’ mental well-being.

    In IPL 2021, Maxwell would be seen representing Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after he was bought by the franchise for Rs 14.25 crore.

    “It is very difficult. The stresses around that, especially when you are travelling, you are stuck in kind of a nightmare where you are reliving the same day over and over again. You start to become a bit sheltered from the outside world and you sort of forget how to have normal conversations with people outside. That can be very hard mentally and it is something which is a massive challenge for the cricketers,” Maxwell said in a video posted on the official Twitter account of RCB.

    “It is certainly a difficult lifestyle, travel is not that glamorous it used to be. You are stuck in a hotel for an extended period of time, you can become sheltered and it puts a strain on your relationships as well. As long as players have support, they can get through,” he added.

    Australia had its first taste of bio-bubble in England last year where the Aaron Finch-led side played three T20Is and three ODIs.

    Talking about how bubble life also helps in making the team bonding better, Maxwell said: “I certainly felt that when Australia was playing against England last year in a bio-bubble, the playing group got a lot closer together, we were staying at the cricket stadiums and we were not allowed to go outside. We were spending a lot of time together, I found it to be a great way to know people. It was our first bio-bubble together as well, we were excited to play cricket again.”

    When asked whether he was surprised about his price tag (Rs 14.25 crore) for IPL 2021, Maxwell said: “Not really, I thought there might be a little bit of interest. I think a lot of teams want that middle-order player, I knew there were a couple of teams who were looking for a middle-order player who can bowl off-spin as well. I am just glad two teams (CSK and RCB) went hard for me and in the end, RCB got hold of me.”

    “I suppose for me, I am so excited to get going again. New team, new tournament, we are back in India, I am excited to get stuck in. It was nice to see some friendly faces and just get some of that energy that you have been conserving during the seven-day quarantine. I want to have a positive influence on the group, if I see improvement in the whole squad, I want to make sure that everything I do has a positive influence on the group,” he added.

    IPL 2021 will commence on April 9 with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) locking horns in the tournament opener. 

  • Virus shadow on IPL: RCB’s Daniel Sams latest to test positive for COVID-19, Devdutt Padikkal recovers

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the IPL starting on April 9 here, but opener Devdutt Padikkal recovered from the dreaded infection to join the side.

    According to a statement issued by RCB on its Twitter handle, the 28-year-old all-rounder arrived in India on April 3 and had a negative COVID-19 test report at that time.

    RCB will take on defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament-opener on Friday.

    “His (Sams’) report from the 2nd test on 7th April came positive. Sams is currently asymptomatic and he is currently in isolation at a designated medical facility,” the RCB said.

    “Royal Challengers Bangalore medical team is in constant touch with Daniel Sams and continue to monitor his health and abide by the BCCI protocols.”

    Sams was traded to the RCB this season from Delhi Capitals.

    He became the second RCB player to test positive for the infection after left-handed opening batsman Padikkal.

    Padikkal, however, came out negative in the latest round of testing.

    The 20-year-old had been in home quarantine since March 22 after being infected.

    He was RCB’s highest scorer last season with 473 runs from 15 matches.

    “Devdutt Padikkal, has joined the team on 7th April 2021 with negative reports for COVID-19 as per BCCI protocols. RCB medical team was in constant touch with Devdutt to ensure his safety and well-being,” the franchise stated in a separate release.

    Sams has played in only three IPL games.

    He made his league debut last season for Delhi Capitals.

    On Tuesday, Mumbai Indians’ wicket-keeping consultant and talent scout Kiran More had also tested positive for the virus, but all other members of the defending champions’ squad returned negative reports.

    IPL 2021 has been hit hard by the coronavirus even before its start as a number of ground-staff at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, broadcast crew event management officials, and some cricketers, including the likes of Axar Patel and Nitish Rana, have contracted the infection.

  • Darling of IPL auction Maxwell fetches Rs 14.25 crore deal

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: IPL’s perennial under-performer Glenn Maxwell once again fetched big money at the players auction with Royal Challengers Bangalore bidding a whopping Rs 14.25 crore to secure his services here on Friday.

    England all-rounder Moeen Ali also went for a high price of Rs 7 crore to Chennai Super Kings.

    Both Maxwell and Moeen had base prices of Rs 2 crore.

    In contrast, Australian Steve Smith, who was released by Rajasthan Royals, was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2.20 crore, only Rs 20 lakh more than his base price.

    IN PIC | Chris Morris to Glenn Maxwell, check out the cricketers who walked away with bank-breaking deals in IPL Player Auction 2021

    KKR made the opening bid for Maxwell but it eventually became a two-way bidding war between Chennai Super Kings and RCB before the Virat Kohli-led team won him with a bid which came to USD 1.96 million.

    Punjab Kings, who had paid Rs 10.75 crore for Maxwell in the previous auction, had released the 32-year-old following the 2020 edition in which he made 108 runs in 13 games at 15.42.

    In 82 IPL games, Maxwell has made 1505 runs at a modest average of 22.13.

  • IPL 2021: Royal Challengers Bangalore release Aaron Finch, Moeen Ali ahead of mini auction

    By ANI
    BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Wednesday announced that they have decided to retain 12 members of their IPL 2020 squad and the likes of Aaron Finch and Moeen Ali have been released from the squad.

    The likes of Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers and Yuzvendra Chahal will be seen for RCB this season. While, key performers of last season like Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj have also been retained. Australia limited-overs skipper Finch and England all-rounder Moeen Ali along with South Africa’s Chris Morris have been shown the door.

    IPL Retention Announcement  Here’s the news you’ve been waiting for, 12th Man Army. We have retained 12 stars from our 2020 squad. #PlayBold #IPL2021 #WeAreChallengers pic.twitter.com/YkzSV3EUjU
    — Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) January 20, 2021

    RCB’s retained players: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Mohammad Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Josh Philippe, Kane Richardson, Pawan Deshpande.

    Released players: Aaron Finch, Gurkeerat Mann, Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Dale Steyn, Parthiv Patel, Isuru Udana, Umesh Yadav and Pawan Negi.

    Earlier this month, pacer Dale Steyn had announced that he would not be available for selection for IPL 2021 and as a result, he has also been released. RCB had made it to the playoffs of the IPL 2020 season but the side had to face a loss in the Eliminator against SunRisers Hyderabad.

    The Virat Kohli-led side has not been able to win the IPL title even once, but the side has made it to the finals thrice.