IPL 2021 | Glenn Maxwell can form two-pronged attack with Ab de Villiers in the middle overs for RCB: Mike Hesson
Director of cricket at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Mike Hesson, has put his backed Glenn Maxwell to provide them with the 'X-factor' while batting in the middle overs along with the explosive AB de Villiers.
RCB's acquisition of the mercurial Maxwell for a whopping INR 14.25 crore during the IPL 2021 auction had surprised the general public owing to the Australian allrounder's indifferent form in the tournament over the past few years.
Highlighting the reasons behind bringing in Glenn Maxwell, Mike Hesson said that the the 32-year-old's skillset is exactly what they were looking for in order to boost their middle order.
"We have looked at Glenn Maxwell for a long time. He is a fantastic player. He fits what we require in the middle order for us. We want some X-factor players, high-impact players", quipped Mike Hesson at a virtual press conference.
With the destructive and ever-reliable AB de Villiers already in their ranks, having an in-form Maxwell batting at the other end is not a sight that will please a lot of opposition bowlers.
"We just found through those middle overs is an area where we needed to have another player of that quality with AB de Villiers. To have a two-pronged attack in the middle-overs and potentially at the back end. He brings a huge amount to that area."
On his day, Glenn Maxwell can turn the game on its head: Mike Hesson
Glenn Maxwell's breakthrough season in the IPL came during 2014 when he was with the Punjab Kings. The right-hander caught the public's imagination with his daredevil strokeplay which took the wind out of opposition bowlers and propelled his team to the finals. Maxwell ended up with 552 runs at a strike-rate of 187.75 that season, his best till date.
Although Glenn Maxwell has been in good form for Australia and continues to be a hot property at IPL auctions, he has struggled to match the expectations that inevitably arrive with the high price tag.
Choosing to focus on Maxwell's game-turning abilities, Hesson stated that RCB is working on providing the Aussie a clear role in order to 'maximise his skills'.
"We know on his day, he can turn the game on his head. We need to use him in a space where we can maximise his skills. We have certainly spent some time working on how we can do that. We are really looking forward to working with him and preparing him to be really clear around that role.
The 'Big Show' is also a handy bowler and had opened the bowling with some success for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2020. That was not lost on Hesson, who remarked that captain Virat Kohli will also benefit from Glenn Maxwell's leadership qualities.
"From a bowling point of view, he adds good skills. He is an amazing fielder. He also can add to the leadership group terms of how he goes about his business. Highly experienced", concluded Mike Hesson.