'What do the bowlers do when they have to bowl to two 360 degree players': Sunil Gavaskar hails Maxwell's impact for RCB | Cricket - Hindustan Times
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'What do the bowlers do when they have to bowl to two 360 degree players': Sunil Gavaskar hails Maxwell's impact for RCB

By, New Delhi
Apr 24, 2021 08:21 PM IST

IPL 2021: Impressed with what Maxwell has had to offer, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that the Australia batsman has proven to be another 360-degree player in the RCB camp.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore are showing early this season that they are the side to beat, having registered four wins in a row. The addition of Glenn Maxwell has worked wonders for them as RCB remain the only unbeaten team in the tournament. Maxwell, who scored just 108 runs from 13 matches last season has already surpassed his previous year's tally with scores of 39, 59 and 78 from three innings.

Glenn Maxwell's form has impressed Sunil Gavaskar. (IPL/Getty)
Glenn Maxwell's form has impressed Sunil Gavaskar. (IPL/Getty)

Impressed with what Maxwell has had to offer, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that the Australia batsman has proven to be another 360-degree players in the RCB camp, the first obviously being AB de Villiers. The kind of atrocious shot Maxwell has been playing – the reverse sweeps, scoops, the switch hits and others – Gavaskar reckons Maxwell will be difficult to stop this year.

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"It's great that Maxwell has come good. It has taken the pressure off Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. They know that they can rely on one more batsman to get the runs. Last time, there was Padikkal at the start of the innings who was getting the runs but this time, Maxwell has been batting extraordinarily," Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

"You could possibly say that now, RCB have another 360-degree player in Maxwell. Look at the way when he's not just reverse-sweeping but also scooping the ball on the off-side and not only on the leg-side. And that is such a difficult shot to play."

Maxwell hit back-to-back half-centuries against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, helping RCB recover at the death with contribution from Ab de Villiers. De Villiers and Maxwell scored belligerent half-centuries against KKR, while Kohli remained unbeaten on 72 off 47 balls hitting six fours and three sixes as RCB gunned down 178 against Rajasthan Royal by 10 wickets and inside 17 overs.

"He's doing it very well, scooping on the off-side over that inner ring and that means he's another 360-degree player. What do the bowlers do they have to bowl to two 360-degree players, " explained Gavaskar.

"Also, when there's a classical Virat Kohli at the top of the order and when there's a Padikkal. Maxwell and de Villiers are the key because they bat in the last seven-eight overs and they are the ones who take the score to a lot more than what the oppositions expect."

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