IPL 2021, RCB vs PBKS: Glenn Maxwell's 33-ball 57 helps Kohli's men post 164

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell showcased his prowess against former Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday in an IPL 2021 league encounter. Maxwell smashed a 33-ball 57 to help Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) post a total of 164 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The Australian all-rounder repaid the faith invested in him by the Bangalore-based franchise in an exemplary manner, showcasing his prowess under pressure. Maxwell’s knock was quite significant for RCB with none of the other batsmen including Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers able to make their presence felt.

Kohli scored a 24-ball 25 which included two boundaries and a six. De Villiers accumulated 23 runs from 18 deliveries in a knock that comprised of a four and two maximums. Mohammed Shami and Moises Henriques were the pick of the bowlers for PBKS, accounting for three dismissals apiece.

“The pitch played similar to the last couple of wickets here in Sharjah. I just looked to bowl my length and let the wicket do the rest. I guess for me it was all about not trying to overpitch and get as much as possible out of the wicket. [On him not bowling much nowadays] It’s just through chance and team balance. We have two really good all-rounders bowling seven and eight, If there is an easy over to bowl, I bowl someone else so that I don’t look selfish,” said Henriques as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“We have a good bowling lineup back home. I am always bowling in the background and still want to bowl as much as ever. I only get the ball if things aren’t looking good. This isn’t the biggest field and we should take advantage if they bowl bad balls. It is going to be difficult if they are accurate and tight with their lines and lengths. I am not sure what the right pronunciation of my surname is. Even my dad and I argue about it (laughs),” he added.

Vital for RCB to record a triumph considering MI’s recent defeat

It is important for RCB to record a triumph in order to take advantage of defending champions Mumbai Indians’ recent defeat against Delhi Capitals (DC) as the two battle it out for a playoffs berth. MI skipper Rohit Sharma sounded disappointed following the loss, blaming the batsmen for failing to make their presence felt.

“We always knew it was going to be a difficult venue. Watched a lot of games and we do understand that it isn’t the easiest of the grounds to play and get those runs you want. We came prepared, we knew exactly what to expect from the conditions, we spoke of those as to how we need to go about when we bat. Didn’t bat well, we didn’t create those partnerships, we always knew that it wasn’t a 170-180 wicket, we knew 140 is a par score here. We just couldn’t get the partnerships going. If your batters are not going to put runs on the board, it’s going to be difficult to win games consistently. We have struggled with our batting this season, I personally accept that,” said Rohit as quoted by Cricbuzz.