IPL 2017: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, 5 factors of winning

#5 Maxwell to bat up the order for KXIP

Maxwell has found top form already

Glenn Maxwell was appointed the captain of the side before the league and it had raised a few eyebrows as he did not have any healthy captaincy experience. Then there was also the presence were international captains like Darren Sammy and Eoin Morgan in the squad which made the decision look even more derisory.

But so far he has managed to answer the critics with his aggressive captaincy and blistering batting. In the first match against RPS, he scored 44 off just 20 balls to see his side home and backed it up another 43 off 22 balls against RCB that gave his side their second victory.

His strike rate so far this season has been 207.14 and he is already looking in top form. His side is heavily dependent on his performances. In the 2014 edition, the Australian had scored 552 runs in 16 innings and was the third highest run-getter in the league and consequently, KXIP were the table toppers after the league stage.

But in the last two seasons, he was in an awful touch and hardly contributed and as a result, his team finished last on the points table on two consecutive seasons.

His form this year has been ominous and so he needs to face more deliveries in an innings. Axar Patel was sent to bat at number four as a pinch-hitter but the move didn’t pay rich dividends. Maxwell batted at number five in the order on both occasions.

The thing that worked in his favour was that the top order built a platform for him to finish the innings. But it won’t happen every time and he has to bat up the order. If not at three, he needs to bat at least at number four and not beyond that.