Glenn Maxwell revealed that he requested to be left out of the RCB squad for the IPL 2024 match against SRH on April 15. The team made adjustments to their lineup, including overseas players Will Jacks, Lockie Ferguson, and Reece Topley, alongside captain Faf du Plessis.
Maxwell’s decision stemmed from his lackluster performance, having scored only 32 runs from 6 matches at an average of 5.33 and a strike rate of 94.11. The aggressive batsman reached double figures only once, with a highest score of 28, and faced 3 ducks in this season of the T20 tournament.
He acknowledged the necessity for RCB to explore alternative options in the middle order. Maxwell emphasized the need for a mental and physical break, aiming to avoid repeating past mistakes and further complicating his situation.
Maxwell seeks mental and physical distance
“For me, personally, it was a pretty easy decision. I went to Faf [du Plessis] and the coaches after the last game and said I felt it was probably time we tried someone else. And I have been in this situation in the past where you can keep playing and get yourself deeper into a hole,” Maxwell said in the post-match press conference.
“I think now is actually a good time for me to give myself a bit of a mental and physical break, get my body right. If I’m required to get in during the tournament, I can hopefully get back into a really solid mental and physical space where I can still have an impact,” Maxwell said.
“We have had a pretty big deficiency straight after the powerplay, which has been my area of strength over the last couple of seasons.”
“I felt like I wasn’t contributing in a positive way with the bat, and with the results and the position we find ourselves on the table, I think it’s a good time to give someone else an opportunity to show their wares, and hopefully, someone can make that spot their own,” Maxwell added.
The alterations made by RCB in the SRH match didn’t yield positive results as they suffered a 25-run defeat at home. Despite chasing a formidable target of 288, Bengaluru ended at 262 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs.
With six losses in seven matches, du Plessis’ squad finds themselves at the bottom of the table with just 2 points and a net run rate of -1.185.
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