Royal Challengers Bangalore star player Glenn Maxwell has opened up about his absence from the playing XI in the match against SunRisers Hyderabad in the ongoing 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League. Maxwell revealed that he had asked for a break from captain Faf du Plessis and the team management ahead of the RCB vs SRH clash.
It has to be noted that RCB made three big changes in their playing XI against SRH by dropping Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Glenn Maxwell from their XI and replacing them with Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, and Saurav Chauhan.
However, the team suffered a 25-run defeat against SunRisers Hyderabad in a high-scoring clash at their home ground, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, on Monday, April 15.
Glenn Maxwell Gave A Huge Update On When He Will Return To RCB
Meanwhile, speaking at the post-match presentation, Maxwell shared after the RCB-SRH match that his choice to take a break was clear, aiming to prevent any further decline in form. He stressed the significance of mental and physical rejuvenation to be impactful later in the tournament. He revealed:
“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. I have been in this situation in the past where you can keep playing and get yourself deeper into a hole.”
“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, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Despite his recent success for Australia in the limited-overs format, Glenn Maxwell was seen struggling to score runs in the ongoing IPL 2024. He scored just 32 runs in six innings, so far, averaging 5.33 with a strike rate of 94.11.
Unfortunately, RCB’s decision to rest Maxwell didn’t change their fortunes, as they suffered a fifth consecutive defeat. Additionally, RCB’s bowling line-up was badly exposed, conceding SRH’s highest-ever IPL total of 287/3. RCB managed 262 runs for the loss of seven wickets.
Further, Maxwell acknowledged the fact that he wasn’t contributing in a positive way. He 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,”
The Virat Kohli-starer RCB is currently sitting at the bottom of the points table with only one win out of the seven games they have played so far.
