IPL 2017: 5 reasons why Glenn Maxwell can be a good captain

The Indian Premier Leauge has often made many careers for International players and owing to the uncertain nature of the league, often there are few decisions taken which can be confounding at the inception comes up with results eventually.

One of these decisions which forced everyone to sit up and take notice was the appointment of Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell as the captain of Kings XI Punjab. Maxwell is without a doubt one of the best players in the T20 format, but the decision to hand him the mantle of the team was surprising and quite risky.

The Victorian never captained any side before this appointment and thus there was a sense of apprehension regarding this move. However, two games down the line, Maxwell has impressed one and all with his tactics and captaincy and this has helped Kings XI Punjab start their campaign with two victories.

Here we try to explain why Maxwell can be a good captain.

#5 In control of his emotions

Maxwell is normally a very explosive batsman and a very mercurial character on the field who wears his heart on the sleeve. However, ever since he has taken over as the captain of the side he appears to have calmed down and remains in control of his emotions.

He remains level-headed at all times and even when things do not go according to plan, he never seems to be ruffled, a trait which is so very important for a good captain. This temperament also allows his players to keep calm during pressure situations.

#4 Team combinations

All combinations have been perfect

Punjab struggled in the previous seasons due to the fact that they could never quite get the right combination of their team. However, the fortunes have reversed this season with Maxwell at the helm as he has formed a good combination with Virender Sehwag and J Arun Kumar which has helped him get the team combination right in the 2 matches so far.

Also, the fact that the team is winning has helped him go in with the same set of players for both the matches which in turn has allowed the players to be confident in their roles.

#3 Bowling changes

The bowlers have responded well

A good captain often has the intuition of getting in the right bowlers at the opportune moment and this is where Glenn Maxwell has been impressive so far.

Tactically he has been on the money as far as reading the game and this has helped him to bring in bowlers at the right moment.

He has also not been afraid to experiment and throw in surprises and these unconventional moves have yielded dividends for him in the two matches so far.

Also, the confidence he has shown on his bowlers have allowed them to grow in their roles.

#2 Field Placements

Team has gelled well under him

Glenn Maxwell came into his own in the game against the Rising Pune Supergiant where all his field placements were precise and this did not allow Pune to get going at any point of the match.

Also, he did not allow the match drift and kept tweaking fields which kept the batsmen guessing at all times and it forced them to take risks which played into the hands of Kings XI.

These may be early days, but then his tactical nuance shone through.

#1 Batting form

The big show has arrived

Captaincy does strange things to different players. Some get bogged down with the pressure of captaincy, others enjoy it and it reflects in their game.

Maxwell who was struggling to find runs in the previous season has been in sparkling form in the two matches so far and all his strokes have come back.

One of the reasons for this could be the additional responsibility of captaincy which has allowed him to play with more freedom and this has been a crucial element in his resurgence.