Throwback to 2014, the first time UAE was hosting a portion of the IPL, KXIP ( now PBKS) won all their 5 matches on the back of brilliant performances by Glen Maxwell. He nearly had 3 centuries in the matches at UAE. Maxwell had 2 scores of 95 and a score of 89 and was looking in great touch. He finished the 2014 season with more than 550 runs at a strike rate of 187. Punjab lost out to KKR in the season finale.
Come 2020, the team would have wanted Maxwell to repeat his heroics but the player ended up having one of his worst seasons. Maxwell in 11 innings only managed 108 runs at a very poor strike rate of 101 and did not even manage to hit a single six throughout the tournament.
A player who could win any game from anywhere on his day has not been that consistent which was expected of him given his talent and ability. Maxwell has always been a big buy in the auction, RCB bought him for 14.25 crore in the 2021 auction even after the poor season he had in 2020. As this season resumes, RCB will be hoping that the Maxwell which shows up is of 2014 and 2020. In this piece, we see his stats against different oppositions, at different batting orders, and how he has performed for the franchises he has played for.
Performances vs Opponent
One of the features of league cricket is that you have a different bowling unit at you in every match. In a 3 or 5 match series, you might have an opposition captain bringing in one particular bowler who has been successful against the batter. Maxwell has been able to perform exceptionally well against the likes of KKR and CSK. An average of 30 + and a strike rate of 150+ is the consistency you will want from a middle-order attacking batsman. RCB and their struggle with their bowling unit have been a known factor in IPL, but Maxwell has not been able to capitalize on the same, an average of 12 does no justice to his caliber.
On the other hand, the player has been slightly good against the likes of SRH and MI, who have the best bowling attacks in IPL in the last 5-6 years. This all is a sign of a player who is all about confidence and momentum.
Dismissals against Leg Spinners
Chahal vs Maxwell has been a battle that is eagerly awaited by everyone, both in the IPL and when Australia plays against India. In the IPL, Chahal has dismissed Maxwell 3 times, the other leg spinners to do so are A Mishra (5), I Tahir (2), K Yadav (2), P Chawla (3), R Chahar (2), R Tewatia (1) S Gopal (1). Maxwell’s aggressive nature gives an opportunity to the leg spinner and try out their variations and fox him into a false shot. We will not be seeing a Chahal vs Maxwell but definitely one or the other leg spinner is going to trouble Maxwell in the remaining season.
Performance by Batting Position
When do you send in your most attacking player is one big dilemma in the team’s decision-making? Be it Pollard for MI or Russel for KKR. The general notion is to give them the maximum no of balls probably around 30, so they can have a greater impact on the innings.
The same has been with Maxwell, he has played the majority of his IPL career at no.4 and has a decent strike rate and an average which can be improved. At no.5 you will expect the average to go down but the strike rate to be a little better. That has not happened with Maxwell. He has only 14 innings at No.3 but has the best stats. A team that has a good finisher in the lineup can definitely try Maxwell at 3.
Impact of Maxwell on Team Position
Maxwell started at DD ( now Delhi Capitals) in 2012, played for MI in 2013 then his journey with Punjab started. He only played 2 -3 matches for his first 2 franchises and dint have much impact on the team’s season. Punjab’s best season came in 2014 and was to do so much with Maxwell’s brilliance. In the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Maxwell averaged only 13 and 19, respectively. Punjab finished 8th in both seasons. The player did have a good 2017 season which was also seen in his team finishing 5th in the points table. Maxwell’s performance had a huge impact on the team’s position on the table. In the 2018 auctions, Delhi bought Maxwell and finished 8th on the points table. And as the pattern has been, the player averaged only 14 in that season. Maxwell did not play the 2019 season and return to Punjab in the 2020 season where he had his worst season but the team did manage to finish 6th on the back of KL Rahul and C. Gayle.
Conclusion
The pattern with Maxwell’s performance and team success is evident. In the current season, Maxwell has scored 223 runs at an average of 37 with 2 fifties. RCB will want him to carry his form throughout the tournament and be the middle-order batsman Virat and AB have always wished for.
The stats say that Maxwell has been a player who has been inconsistent but an impactful player, be it anyways it turns out for the team. The strategies and the team batting plan are based around him, just as KKR’s plan has been based on creating a platform for Russel or leaving him to do the majority of the work. Maxwell would want to score more 50’s in the tournament. He had scored four 50’s in 2014, and four since then.
