IPL 2023: How enjoyable has Glenn Maxwell's stint been with RCB? The Australian reveals

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell could have added motivation to steady his team's floundering campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, with four of his childhood friends flying down from Australia to cheer their mate in the ongoing tournament. RCB has eked out just one win in three outings -- against former five-time record champion Mumbai Indians (MI) -- and is placed eighth with two points.

Maxwell scored an unbeaten 12 against MI, five against former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which the Bengaluru outfit lost by 81 runs, and 59 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a losing cause. The 34-year-old has bowled just one over, as RCB has relied more on its pace bowlers.

With an unflattering performance so far this season, the presence of his friends could boost Maxwell's morale, which would then put RCB back on track. Maxwell also expressed the hope that with his mates in the stands, "the results will turn for us".

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"The last two years in RCB have been extraordinary, and moments like these with my friends here adds to that. Because we have such a connected tight [RCB] group at the moment, we know the results will turn for us. To have this crew with me at the moment has been special. So, hopefully, more success this year and RCB is [able to climb] to the top of the table," said Maxwell on a podcast posted by RCB on its Twitter handle.

The four friends here to cheer Maxwell are Anthony Davies, a mechanical farmer, brothers Brendan and Nathan Walsh (both school teachers) and Aaron Daniels, an electrician who also works in the fire industry. "I am a lot excited. I suppose to perform well in front of these guys. [They coming here] means a lot. To have them here, it is pretty special," added Maxwell.

All the friends were convinced early that Maxwell had a unique talent. "Glenn, even at 11-12, was pretty special. He is an incredible talent, and I enjoyed his energy and positivity; he is kind. We are connected through those early years, and from there, Nathan, Maxwell and I got connected in high school as well," said Brendan.

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Anthony said he did not doubt that Maxwell would reach this level one day. "I think it was quite clear to say, yeah [that he will reach this level someday]. I come in and think I'm not too bad with the bat, and then he [Maxwell] would come in and be batting left-handed better than I could right-handed," said Anthony.

"So, he got that point on you straight away. He is a talent, not only in the field, the way he bowls, the way he bats, his leadership, the knowledge and understanding of the game, it's impressive," he added. Brendan added that he and Maxwell had played a lot of age-group cricket in Australia, where the all-rounder developed his work ethic.

"Glenn and I played a lot of junior cricket together, but we also got to experience the Victorian U-15 together, the Victorian U-19 together, and the one thing I noticed about him is, not only does he have the talent, but he's also got an incredible work ethic. If you combine those two things, you get a pretty special player," added Brendan.

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"He's got the mindset of a champion, and anything is achievable, doesn't matter who's holding that cricket ball at the other end, what the conditions are, he believes he can hit the ball out of the ground," added Nathan. Brendan also shared a secret about Maxwell, saying he loves golf, but there is one shot he wished he never played -- the 16-metre chip.

"He loves his golf, there is a particular shot on the golf course that scares him, and that is the 16-metre chip shot. It's not a full swing. It's a half-swing. He has to go deftly at it with soft hands, and I've never seen his knees wobble more than over the 16-metre chip shot, so that is something the fans don't know," added Brendan.