"I thought we were still in the game all the way through, right till the end" - Glenn Maxwell on whether RCB are over-reliant on top-order batters

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell dismissed the notion that the franchise is over-dependent on its top-order batters in IPL 2023. The Faf du Plessis-led side lost their third match of the season after falling eight runs short against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Monday, April 17.

The likes of du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Maxwell have done the bulk of the scoring for RCB so far in the tournament. With Rajat Patidar ruled out due to injury, the franchise has struggled to find a reliable No. 3 batter.

All-rounders have often donned the role of batters in the middle order. Mahipal Lomror and Harshal Patel have been tried and tested out at No.3 and No.5, respectively, but without much success so far.

Opining that the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed have stepped up with the bat apart from the top order batters, Maxwell said during the post-match press conference when asked whether RCB were too reliant on their top order:

"No, I would not say that. I felt like Shahbaz and DK batted really well, they got us to a position where Suyash, Parnell, and Hasaranga could pull it off. I thought we were still in the game all the way through, right till the end. Their lads bowled well too, I thought Pathirana executed absolutely brilliantly."

Further explaining that batting in the lower middle-order is as tough as it gets, Maxwell said while defending Shahbaz and Karthik:

"Shahbaz has been outstanding for us over the last couple of years. He and DK singlehandedly got us into the finals last year with their partnerships at the back end. It is not easy to come out there and just carry on like the guys before you were striking at 12 per over. It is never a nice role, something which I have had to do in previous years."

Shahbaz scored 12 runs off 10 deliveries while Karthik looked set to finish off the run chase after scoring 28 runs off his first 13 deliveries.

However, their untimely dismissals in the death overs forced RCB to bring on an impact player, which did not prove to be enough as they fell marginally short in the end.

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"I am sure at some stage of the tournament, he is going to show the class and ability he has" - Glenn Maxwell on Mahipal Lomror

RCB roped in Mahipal Lomror at No. 3 in their win over the Delhi Capitals (DC) after trying out a variety of names such as Michael Bracewell and Glenn Maxwell in their previous encounters.

Lomror, who has played up the order during his stint with the Rajasthan Royals (RR), scored 26 runs off 18 deliveries in his first match of the season. However, he succumbed to a high-pressure run chase against CSK and was dismissed for a five-ball duck.

Backing Lomror to find success while batting at No. 3 for RCB, Maxwell said:

"Lomror has been outstanding in a lot of our practice games and he has been prepped for the No.3 role ever since Rajat Patidar was ruled out of the tournament. We needed someone to bat at No.3 and Lomror has been hitting the ball quite well I am sure at some stage of the tournament, he is going to show the class and ability he has."

Following their streak of three consecutive home matches, RCB are next scheduled to face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday, April 20.