IPL 2022 auction: 3 reasons why Glenn Maxwell as RCB skipper is a bad idea
Ahead of the 2022 mega-auction, RCB has decided to retain Glenn Maxwell after his performances in the 2021 edition. Along with Glenn Maxwell, RCB has retained Virat Kohli and Mohammad Siraj for the 2022 season.
Following Virat Kohli's announcement to step down from captaincy duties after the 2021 season, RCB have the massive task of building a solid squad at auction. They will need to find a replacement for Kohli in the leadership role.
Having been retained by the franchise, rumors of Glenn Maxwell becoming the RCB skipper have started doing the rounds. However, appointing Maxwell as the skipper is not a good idea. Here are three a few reasons why.
#1 Limiting the overseas lineup
Current IPL guidelines mandate a maximum of only four overseas players in the playing XI. With Glenn Maxwell as the captain, he will be expected to play all the matches for the team, regularly taking up one position for an overseas player in the team.
Many franchises have opted for an overseas captain like Smith for RR or Warner for SRH or Morgan for KKR. The problem is irrespective of the player's form, the overseas player plays all the matches due to his role as captain.
KKR struggled with this during the 2021 edition with Eoin Morgan. RCB will undoubtedly want to avoid a similar fate.
#2 Too much responsibility
Maxwell has led the Melbourne Stars since the 2018-19 season for 33 matches with 21 wins and two runners-up trophies under his leadership. While this is a remarkable achievement, Maxwell's performances with the bat have suffered in the process.
In the two seasons when Maxwell led the Stars, he managed just five fifties and an average of 36.
Maxwell was phenomenal with the bat and sometimes with the ball for the RCB in the 2021 edition. They will be keen for Maxwell to fire on all his cylinders this season without being distracted by captaincy duties.
#1 Building for the future
RCB will be looking to develop players like Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal and Devdutt Paddikal, who were with them last season. A player like Paddikal or Chahal could be groomed for a more senior leadership role in the upcoming season.
Naming Maxwell captain will not be a good long-term decision and it makes more sense to allow a younger player to gain some experience as a skipper.
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