Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is reveling in the new role that his 4th franchise has given him in this year’s Indian Premier League.
Maxwell’s 41-ball 59 helped RCB beat SRH by 6 runs in a low-scoring thriller at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai. His first IPL fifty since 2016 helped RCB reach 149 for 8 at the Chepauk which they successfully defended by stopping SRH at 143 for 9 to grab the top spot on the points table.
Maxwell admitted that the role that he has been asked to perform by the skipper, coach and the team management is suiting him perfectly at RCB.
“It’s a nice start at RCB. They gave me a specific role. To have batters around me gives me time to settle in and play with freedom – similar to the role I play at the Australian team,” Maxwell said after picking up the Player of the Match award.
The Big Show, who was bought for a whopping Rs 14.25 crore by RCB in February after being released by Punjab Kings this year, also explained how the difference in expectations at RCB and the team culture here is helping him as a player.
“It’s just sharing our experiences and giving myself time to assess my conditions. Kohli’s good at keeping me on task. Having those guys behind me is a nice little luxury. It’s my fourth IPL team and there’s pressure on me to turn up and make my impact,” Maxwell said.
RCB rode on superb bowling performances from Shahbaz Ahmed (3 for 7), Harshal Patel (2 for 25) and Mohammed Siraj (2 for 25) to bounce back in the match even though SRH were cruising in the chase till the 14th over.
Now having opened their campaign with 2 successive wins for the first time, Kohli’s RCB will look to complete a hat-trick of wins when they face Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday in Chennai.
