The resurgence of Glenn Maxwell in IPL 2021

Several eyebrows were raised when the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) shelled out a hefty sum of ₹14.25 crore at the IPL auction earlier this year to pick Glenn Maxwell.

The apprehensions were not unwarranted. Over the years, Maxwell’s name had become synonymous with underperformance in the IPL.

Prior to 2021, the swashbuckling Australian batter, who made his IPL debut in 2012, had been part of the cash-rich league on eight occasions, representing three different franchises - Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Mumbai Indians.

However, barring the 2014 edition, when he amassed 552 runs at an average of 34.50 and a strike rate of 187.75 to walk away with the IPL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, there was not a single season when his numbers lived up to his lofty reputation.

In fact, in his last two IPL seasons (2018 and 2020, he didn’t play in 2019), his batting stats were so abysmal that calling them ordinary would be an understatement.

In 2018, he scored just 169 runs in 14 matches at an average of 14.08 and in 2020, he registered a mere 108 runs in 13 games at an average of 15.42. He didn’t cross the 50-run mark even once in those 27 games.

Glenn Maxwell in IPL 2021

Coming into the IPL 2021, Maxwell had his task cut out.

However, playing under the leadership of their IPL captain Virat Kohli for the RCB this season, the maverick Aussie has managed to exorcize his past IPL demons with a streak of match-defining performances.

On Sunday, he bludgeoned a 33-ball 57 to help RCB eke out a narrow six-run win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) to qualify for the IPL 2021 playoffs.

He came out to bat when RCB were reduced to 68 for 2 in the 10th over. It soon became 73 for 3 in the 12th over. As evidenced by Kohli’s sluggish 24-ball 25, the pitch looked quite difficult to score freely at this stage.

Maxwell, though, had other ideas. After taking a bit of time to assess the conditions, he took off in style, hitting the Punjab spinners for fours and sixes at will. His innings, in the end, turned out to be the difference between the two sides. His stellar showing with the bat earned him his third Man of the Match award in IPL 2021.

This was also his third consecutive fifty since the resumption of the league at the UAE a fortnight ago. His previous two scores read 56 off 37 versus Mumbai Indians (MI) and 50 not out off 30 balls against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), with both knocks being at the heart of his team’s victories.

His tournament tally has gone past the 400-run mark with a healthy average of 40 and an impressive strike rate of 145.35. In 12 IPL 2021 matches, he has already accumulated more runs than his combined tally from the previous two seasons.

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The Clarity Factor

So what has caused a reversal in Maxwell’s fortunes in the IPL this time around? In his own words, it boils down to a lack of clarity in his role at the Bangalore-based franchise.

For years, it intrigued pundits and fans alike as to why the Victorian looked such a dangerous batter playing for Australia in limited-overs cricket, but failed to repeat his heroics in the IPL. It seems that the answers have finally been found.

Maxwell said during the post-match presentation ceremony following his game-defining knock on Sunday:

“A bit of clarity, I think I have been clear in my mind. I have found a nice bit of rhythm batting at no.4. This is something I have had with Australia for a long period of time (a clarity in the role), this is perhaps why I have had success over there. Coming into the RCB, they wanted me to do the same type of role.”

With the business end of the tournament coming up, it will be interesting to see whether the 32-year-old feels the same level of clarity and is able to give his best in the playoffs. The RCB will certainly hope for it to fulfill their quest for a maiden IPL title.