The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) faced elimination from the IPL 2024 season in the hands of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) during the Eliminator match at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The loss prompted criticism from former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra regarding RCB’s utilization of Glenn Maxwell. Having set a target of 173 runs for RR after being put in to bat first, RCB saw RR chase down the total and clinch the game by four wickets with an over to spare.
Aakash Chopra particularly scrutinized Glenn Maxwell’s poor form in the IPL. The Australian all-rounder’s dismissal for a first-ball duck, attempting a big hit off Ravichandran Ashwin to the longest boundary after Cameron Green’s previous dismissal, drew Chopra’s ire.
“Glenn Maxwell – what do you do, Sir? Honestly speaking, I think he doesn’t even have 70-80 runs in nine matches. 28 is probably his highest score, and he has a strike rate of 120. Firstly, the shot he played – how, why, a player had just gotten out and you also slogged and got out. Is there no accountability?” Aakash Chopra expressed on his YouTube channel.
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With a mere 52 runs in ten matches at an average of 5.77, the 35-year-old proved to be a significant underperformer for RCB this season. Chopra attributed Maxwell’s lacklustre performance to his seemingly casual approach throughout the season.
“The team might also be thinking that he is such a big player, and they give him 10 crore rupees, so they expect you to show a little cricketing smarts and play for them just like he plays for Australia. Sometimes you feel whether he cares or not. Does he actually feel for the side that strongly? I am sure he does, but the way he plays poses a question for sure. He also dropped a straightforward catch,” Aakash Chopra added.
While acknowledging Rajat Patidar (34 off 22) and Mahipal Lomror (32 off 17) for their quick cameos, Chopra deemed RCB’s total sub-par despite a promising start from Virat Kohli (33 off 24). He also raised questions about their decision to promote Green ahead of the in-form Patidar after skipper Faf du Plessis’ early dismissal.
“Rajasthan won the toss and said they would bowl first, and the way Trent Boult bowled at the start. He conceded only six runs in three overs and got Faf du Plessis out. RCB said they would make a change this time, that every time they send Rajat Patidar at No. 3 but would send Cameron Green this time. Don’t know why they sent him,” he further added.
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Chopra believed RCB missed an opportunity to set a more challenging total against RR’s bowling attack led by Trent Boult (1/16), Ashwin (2/19), and Avesh Khan (3/44). While RR lost wickets during the chase, Riyan Parag’s 36 off 26 proved instrumental before Rovman Powell’s six sealed the win.
