IPL 2021: "I feel like the last two years of IPL I have batted nicely" - Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell starred with the bat as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six wickets on Sunday to book a IPL playoff berth.

Opting to bat first, their IPL captain Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal got RCB off to a flying start, adding 67 runs before Glenn Maxwell's show arrived in Sharjah. He smacked 57 off 33 balls, including four towering sixes, to propel the Challengers to 164 runs.

Maxwell admitted that a good start by the openers helped them get a fair idea of Sharjah's wicket, which has mostly troubled the batters. Speaking at the end of the match, the 32-year-old said:

"Came in at a nice time to bat. Lucky to hit the first couple of risks out of the middle. I feel like the last two years of IPL I have batted nicely. To have it set up by the openers today gave us some time to get an idea of the wicket."

RCB's total proved too much for the Punjab Kings, who finished six runs short. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal got their side off to a good start but the franchise lost wickets in a cluster to lose control of the game.

RCB bowler Yuzvendra Chahal starred with the ball, picking up three wickets.

There has been a paradigm shift in Glenn Maxwell's performance ever since he joined RCB this season.

The all-rounder revealed he has been assigned a similar role at RCB to that of the Australian team which has helped him bat freely.

"Coming into RCB they wanted me to do the exact same role (as with Australia)," Glenn Maxwell said.

Maxwell has scored 407 runs in 12 games at an average of 40.70, including five half-centuries. His addition has bolstered the RCB batting, helping them book their playoff berth with two matches to spare.

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"Sharjah wicket is the most difficult to adjust to" - Glenn Maxwell

Among the three IPL venues, Sharjah's wicket has caused maximum problems for the players in the second phase of the IPL this season. Maxwell feels it has helped the spinners, making it difficult for the batters.

"This (Sharjah) is probably the most difficult to adjust to. The spinners get it to skid on which means you have to be sharper at the start of your innings," Maxwell concluded.

RCB will play Sunrisers Hyderabad next on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.