Why is Glenn Maxwell not playing today's RCB vs SRH IPL 2024 match
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has had a horrid start to the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). With only 32 runs in six innings, including two ducks in the last three outings, his place in the squad was questioned while a finger injury also thickened the plot.
As confirmed by RCB skipper Faf du Plessis at the toss against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday, Maxwell is indeed not part of the playing XI.
RCB are also without Mohammed Siraj, as New Zealand international Lockie Ferguson makes his debut for the franchise to revamp the under-fire pace bowling unit.
"We will chase. The pitch has been pretty much the same. Little bit slower than what we expected. That's the nature of the game. You have to adapt to whichever pitch is on offer. We are not playing our best cricket. We haven't delivered to our skills and some of our main players haven't been in form. Maxwell and Siraj are sitting out. Lockie Ferguson is coming in," du Plessis said during the toss.
A radical switch was always on the horizon following RCB's forgettable journey in IPL 2024 so far, and their humbling at the hands of the Mumbai Indians (MI) recently at the Wankhede Stadium.
When was the last time Glenn Maxwell was not part of the RCB playing XI?
Maxwell, who had a landmark 2023 season played all 14 league stage matches for RCB. The all-rounder also played the majority of the 2022 season during RCB's run to the second qualifier but missed the start of the campaign.
Maxwell missed the white-ball leg of Australia's tour of Pakistan and a couple of matches for RCB at the start of IPL 2022 as it coincided with his wedding to Vini Raman. As a result, he was absent from the franchise's matches against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the DY Patil Stadium.
During the contest against the Mumbai Indians (MI), Maxwell sustained an injury to his hand, causing him to leave the field. The nature of Maxwell's absence is largely not due to injury as mentioned above, particularly because RCB Director of Cricket, Mo Babat, confirmed that scans on Maxwell's hand did not reveal any significant damage.