IPL 2023: Glenn Maxwell reveals how CSK batters were able to post 200-plus against RCB

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell feels Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left-handers did the trick for the former four-time champion by exploiting the shorter boundaries to the hilt to earn a crucial eight-run win in their 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Mc Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

CSK won the high-scoring 'Southern Derby' on Monday, with three of its left-handers -- opener Devon Conway (83 off 45 balls), middle-order bat Shivam Dube (52 off 27) and Moeen Ali (19 not out off 9) -- helping it amass 226/6, which proved to be a winning total. "They played heavy left-handers with short boundaries [at the Chinnaswamy Stadium]. Devon Conway batted for a long period in that innings," said Maxwell, who could have taken the match away from MS Dhoni's side had he remained at the crease for a little longer.

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The Australian all-rounder, who struck his second half-century in this IPL, added that bringing in left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed to bowl to left-handers would have been risky. "I think it would have been a risk to bowl Shahbaz Ahmed to those guys," said Maxwell, though he added that the 28-year-old all-rounder was a "clever bowler".

Faf du Plessis (62 off 33balls) and Maxwell (76 off 36) departed quickly in the middle overs, with Dhoni taking their catches. The Australian wished he or his skipper had stayed a little longer, which could have turned the game's complexion. "We did so well to get so close. I suppose we got into a position where we probably should have won the game if one of us had been there a little longer," Maxwell considered.

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"We were trying to get as hard as possible to get the run rate under ten and make it easier at the back end. But, a pretty exciting game of cricket. Unfortunately, we fell a little short," added Maxwell. Maxwell said the conditions were perfect for him to come out in his favourite position at No.4 after losing two early wickets of Virat Kohli (6) and Mahipal Lomror (0).

"Whenever I've batted at No 4, I've generally played well. I think the pressure, the new ball swinging. It's a pretty familiar role that I played [against CSK]. Especially for Australia, I've played that role many times. Even at this ground in international cricket, when it comes to mind, it's not foreign to me chasing big totals," Maxwell continued.

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Maxwell said Faf took the pressure off him early in the innings and helped him build the momentum later in PowerPlay (PP). "I have an evident mindset, the role I have to play. Together with Faf, he took a lot of pressure off me early on in my innings. I could take that momentum towards the back end of the powerplay.]," he assessed.

"Once we got out of the powerplay, it was just about ensuring we kept the run-rate ticking. During the partnership, I thought we got to a position where we were on top," added Maxwell. He said just one error -- his or Faf's dismissal -- had a cascading effect and set off a chain of mistakes.

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"Unfortunately, it takes just one error to bring about other errors. I had a lot of matchups in the side, might not have worked out the way we thought it would, but I think we ramped the run rate," Maxwell further measured. The all-rounder said both Dinesh Karthik (28 off 14) and Shahbaz (12 of 10) had played their role well and that Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana's brilliance stopped them from winning.

"I thought DK and Shahbaz batted well. They got us to a position where even Suyash [Prabhudessai], [Wayne] Parnell and [Wanindu] Hasaranga, I thought, [could win the game for RCB]. We were still in the game right till the end. Pathirana executed brilliantly. He bowled a couple of really crucial overs. He's putting a lot of pressure to nail his yorker, and he certainly did that under pressure, so hats off to them [CSK]," concluded Maxwell.