The transformation of Glenn Maxwell from a batsman who couldn’t connect a single hit over the fence in 2020 to a matchwinner for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has been one of the stories of this season’s 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Glenn Maxwell of Royal Challengers Bangalore (ANI)
After flattering to deceive season after season with different IPL teams, the Australian all-rounder is finally showing why franchise owners are still prepared to take huge punts on him. For a player who scored 108 runs in 13 matches for Punjab Kings (PK) in 2020, it looked like a big risk when RCB bid Rs14.25 crore at the auction for him. To the envy of his former teams and RCB’s delight, Maxwell has proved his worth and powered the franchise into the play-offs.
In eight IPL seasons from 2012 to 2020, Maxwell scored six half-centuries. For RCB this season, he already has five. It is the first time since the 2014 IPL when he got 95, 89, 95 playing in UAE that Maxwell has three successive 50-plus scores—56 (vs Mumbai Indians), 50* (vs Rajasthan Royals) and 57 (vs PK) in games between September 26 to October 3. He was primed for a fourth straight half-century but was run out for 40 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.
In the high-voltage clash with MI last week, Maxwell played an audacious switch-hit for six off pacer Adam Milne. There were two more fours in the next three balls of that over to reach his half-century.
Bought at a price tag of R10.75 crore last season, he had averaged 15.42 without hitting a single six. This time he has 21 sixes and 39 fours, an average of 40.63 and a strike rate of 146.55.
Playing spin better
For RCB, he has been the missing puzzle in the middle-order in the middle overs. “I felt good from the time I came here; nice routines at training, outside the training, it’s just clicking for me at the moment, really nice and clear once I am in the middle and I am able to adapt to the situations in front of me,” Maxwell told the official broadcaster.
According to CricViz, the difference has been his game against spin. Last season, Maxwell scored 38 runs (44 balls) against spinners, scoring at 5.2rpo (runs per over). This year, he has 237 runs (145 balls), scoring at 9.8rpo.
The CricViz Analyst tweeted during the SRH game: “17 sixes for Glenn Maxwell against spin this IPL season. The most ever is Chris Gayle in 2012, who hit 24, and Maxwell himself in second, when he hit 23 sixes in 2014.”
The reason behind Maxwell’s transformation could be how he’s played leg-spin. Previously, he would often get out to leg-spinners. Now, he is reading the googly better. Leg-spinners are the most difficult bowlers to face in the IPL but Maxwell has feasted on them like in no other season. Last season, he averaged 6.5 against leg-spin. He averages 65 against them this term, with 130 runs off 74 balls at a run-rate of 10.54.
On Wednesday, Sunrisers’ ace leggie Rashid Khan was at the receiving end. The first ball he bowled to Maxwell was nonchalantly dispatched for a six over midwicket. Another six over wide long-on came in Khan’s next over in which Maxwell took 14 runs. It isn’t usual for the Afghanistan spinner to be dealt like this.
It means Maxwell’s technique is now finely tuned. Maxwell is an avid golfer and Star Sports Dug-Out guru Brian Lara explained how one of the reasons for the batter’s struggles in the 2020 season was that he had mixed up his golf swing with the bat backswing. Lara demonstrated the difference in elbow position in golf swing versus a high elbow needed in batting and how Maxwell’s left elbow was right behind the ball.
Also, he has been used much earlier in the innings with 9 per cent of his deliveries faced in the power-play this season compared to 2 per cent last year, according to CricViz. He averages 34.2 and 39 against right-arm and left-arm pace respectively.
After getting off to a good start to the tournament in India, Maxwell had said that the clarity of his role helped him get into the groove. RCB are batting him mostly at No. 4, a position he has become used to in the Australia team. “Yes, I have got a clear role in this team, it’s nice to get a bit of a start,” he said, at a presentation ceremony.
Playing with superstars Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers also means the spotlight is not on him as much as it was when he was at PK. “It’s a bunch of guys doing different things here, not over reliance on one certain player, everyone chipping in, it’s been really enjoyable so far,” Maxwell said in another interview.
His form is good news for Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup at the same venues this month. “He (Maxwell) looks to be hitting the ball beautifully, he’s confident at the moment, and his backswing looks really impressive,” said Australia captain Aaron Finch. “So, the thing I like is he’s taking games deep, and as we know, he’s as destructive as anyone in the world when he’s on.”
For many it is still difficult to believe that Maxwell is the same guy who last season was labelled by Virender Sehwag as a player who “when he comes to the IPL, he is more serious about his golf than cricket”.
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