"Does he actually feel for the side that strongly?" - Aakash Chopra criticizes Glenn Maxwell for his dismissal in RCB's IPL 2024 loss to RR
Aakash Chopra has questioned Glenn Maxwell's approach in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2024 Eliminator loss to the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Faf du Plessis and company suffered a four-wicket defeat in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, May 22, to crash out of the tournament.
Maxwell was caught in the deep for a first-ball duck as RCB set RR a 173-run target after being asked to bat first. The inaugural IPL champions achieved the target with an over to spare to bring the three-time finalists' splendid comeback this season to an end.
Reflecting on RCB's batting in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra criticized Maxwell for his seemingly casual approach.
"Glenn Maxwell - what do you do Sir? Honestly speaking, I think he doesn't even have 70-80 runs in nine matches. 28 is probably his highest score and he has a strike rate of 120. Firstly, the shot he played - how, why, a player had just gotten out and you also slogged and got out. Is there no accountability?" he said (4:25).
"The team might also be thinking that he is such a big player and they give him 10 crore rupees, so they expect you to show a little cricketing smarts and play for them just like he plays for Australia. Sometimes you feel whether he cares or not. Does he actually feel for the side that strongly? I am sure he does but the way he plays poses a question for sure. He also dropped a straightforward catch," the former India opener added.
Maxwell hit Ravichandran Ashwin straight down the long-on fielder's throat after Cameron Green had been dismissed off the previous delivery. The maverick Australian aggregated a paltry 52 runs at a dismal average of 5.78 in nine innings in IPL 2024.
"Don't know why they sent him" - Aakash Chopra on RCB promoting Cameron Green ahead of Rajat Patidar
![Cameron Green batted at No. 3 in the Eliminator. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/05/71120-17164377863817-1920.jpg?w=500)
Reflecting on the rest of the RCB batting, Aakash Chopra questioned them for sending Cameron Green at the fall of Faf du Plessis' wicket.
"Rajasthan won the toss and said they would bowl first, and the way Trent Boult bowled at the start. He conceded only six runs in three overs and got Faf du Plessis out. RCB said they would make a change this time, that every time they send Rajat Patidar at No. 3 but would send Cameron Green this time. Don't know why they sent him," he said (1:50).
The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that the Bengaluru-based franchise lost a flurry of wickets in the middle overs.
"Virat Kohli was playing well with Cameron Green but then Virat Kohli got out. Cameron Green was batting but after that, wickets fell one after the other, and you thought what were they doing. They came to give a challenge but were giving wickets," Chopra observed.
While praising Rajat Patidar and Mahipal Lomror for playing fighting knocks, Chopra pointed out that RCB posted a below-par total.
"Then Rajat Patidar scored runs and took the team beyond 170. It wasn't a winning total but at least a fighting total. Mahipal Lomror came in the end and batted very well. He is a very good player. He is slightly underrated. However, in the end, they didn't have defendable runs," he stated.
Patidar scored 34 runs off 22 deliveries with the help of two fours and as many sixes. Lomror also struck two fours and as many maximums in his 17-ball 32. Virat Kohli (33 off 24) and Green (27 off 21) were the other RCB players to reach 20.