Glenn Maxwell or Rajat Patidar - who's lack of form is more concerning for RCB? 

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are heading towards treacherous territory and an unwelcome familiar path following their poor start to the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign. They have already lost to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the early stages, with the latter being a tame defeat at home.

Batting in the middle-order and bowling in the middle overs is what arguably cost RCB a playoff spot in the 2023 edition. Those woes were put down to Rajat Patidar's absence, the apparent link between the gun top three of Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell.

In a bid to bolster the aforementioned couple of issues, RCB went all in to acquire Cameron Green during the off-season. The all-rounder's arrival and Rajat Patidar's return from injury was bound to be the solution, but it has not transpired on the field so far.

To make matters worse, Glenn Maxwell is also in a rut, scoring only 31 runs in three matches, including a golden duck against CSK in the season opener. Even his 28-run knock against KKR was far from ideal as he was dropped twice, and could not make the most of the chance.

With RCB set to take on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on home turf on Tuesday, April 2, the focus will be on their middle order as they seek to avoid a second consecutive loss.

On that note, let us take a look at who's lack of form among Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar comes across as more concerning for RCB.

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What do they bring to the table?

Maxwell struggling in the IPL is no new story given his shaky track record over the years. Yet, it is indeed surprising that he is having a poor run after a dominant last couple of months. He slammed two T20I tons in the lead-up to the IPL, and had a memorable ODI World Cup in the subcontinent as well.

Maxwell's profile is not that hard to decode. His innate ability to hit big and hit often has made him a popular entity over the years, and rightly so. His influx in the middle overs has often led to a serious momentum push, which RCB ideally desire in their setup.

Patidar comes across as a different type of player when compared to Maxwell, but crucial in his own way. With Kohli also pushing and given the instability of the RCB batting unit, they need an anchor, similar to what GT have in Sai Sudharsan, but also a bit different. His assured presence at one end will give license to other big hitters to go about their business without any reservation, while Patidar, being no stranger to big hits himself, can also contribute in his own way.

A batting paradise like Chinnaswamy coupled with modern-day demands may not hold a place for an anchor. But RCB could very much use a subdued version of an anchor, with the rest of the explosive batting unit perhaps compensating with aggression for the stability tied down at one end.

Furthermore, Patidar's presence at the crease in the middle overs is crucial, given how good he is against spin. The right-hander scored a memorable hundred in his last outing against LSG, which was also the Eliminator clash of the 2022 edition. Hopefully, the same opposition manages to bring the right-handed batter back into form.

There is a credible case for all three of Maxwell, Patidar, and Green to be slotted in at No.3, especially the latter two. Despite being three matches into the season, there is still a lack of clarity surrounding the middle order. Situations have a huge role to play in determining the batting order, but even if that is the case, there is still an issue with the correct and ideal order.

For instance, Maxwell was pushed to No.4 ahead of Patidar in the clash against KKR, as RCB wanted him to face as many balls as possible. However, the former would have been the better choice as the spinners were operating during the time and Russell was also marking his presence with his cutters. The move did not pay off as both Maxwell and Patidar failed to impress.

Simply put, RCB would ideally love both Maxwell and Patidar to be in form, to dominate the middle overs, and set things up for the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Anuj Rawat in the death overs. Secondly, the need for both to be in form is crucial as they do not have enough backup in the squad.

However, if they had the provision of bringing a player back into form, they would hope that it is Maxwell, because of his match-winning ability. The world has witnessed what an in-form Maxwell is capable of, and RCB could be a whole different batting side once he finds his rhythm back.

Patidar returning to form will be the icing on the cake, but Maxwell's form remains the cake in question.