IPL Auction 2020: 3 teams that could target Glenn Maxwell this year

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The countdown for IPL Auction 2020 has begun as only a few weeks remain for the event. The domestic players had ruled the roost in the previous auction with the likes of Varun Chakravarthy, Jaydev Unadkat, Prayas Ray Barman and Prabhsimran Singh earning expensive contracts from the franchises.

However, the fans may not witness that trend in the upcoming auction. The key reason behind it is the availability of the international stars and also the mega auction that might happen in 2021. The teams would not mind spending big on the international players because this bid will only give them a one-year contract. Just like Tymal Mills and Ben Stokes had fetched massive amounts in 2017, the cricketing fraternity feels impact players like Glenn Maxwell would be the center of attraction in the auction.

Talking about Maxwell, the Aussie has played for three IPL franchises - Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab. Since he has the talent and experience, these three teams could target him in the auction.

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#3 Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals need an explosive middle order batsman

Delhi Capitals have formed a fantastic core of Indian batsmen ahead of IPL 2020. They already had Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in the squad and they gained the services of Ajinkya Rahane in the trade window. With this acquisition, they do not need any other top-order batsman.

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However, the squad lacks a quality finisher. They have two talented Indian all-rounders in Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin but there is no one who could bat between the top five batsmen and the all-rounders. Glenn Maxwell can solve this problem as he is a hard-hitting middle-order batsman who can also bowl off-spin in the middle overs.

Since the ground size of the Arun Jaitley Stadium would favour a batsman like Maxwell, the Delhi-based franchise could hunt for their alumnus in the auction.

#2 Kings XI Punjab

Glenn Maxwell can captain Kings XI Punjab

Former captain of Kings XI Punjab, Glenn Maxwell had lit up the 2014 edition of IPL with his fireworks. Playing his first season for the Mohali-based franchise, the right-handed batsman scored 552 runs in just 16 games and ended the season with an average of 34.50. The highlight of his IPL 2014 performance was his incredible strike rate of 187.75.

After George Bailey left the franchise, the officials appointed Maxwell as the skipper in 2017. He had a decent outing in that season as he aggregated 310 runs in 14 matches. Though he has not scored a single IPL fifty since 2016, Maxwell can play the role of a game-changer for Kings XI.

They already have the quartet of KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair who can bat in the top 4. Maxwell can either play at the number five position or if Nicholas Pooran is in the playing XI, the Australian can even bat at number six.

The former Mumbai Indians player takes little time to get settled in the middle and having played a lot of cricket for Punjab, he would have a clear idea about the team's home conditions.

#1 Royal Challengers Bangalore

Will Glenn Maxwell don the red and black colors in the IPL once again?

Royal Challengers Bangalore have always done well in the auction room but the team has never executed its plans on the field. The Virat Kohli-led outfit has finished at the bottom position twice in the last three seasons thus, Mike Hesson and co. will be under immense pressure to deliver the goods this year.

Bangalore took a lot of bold decisions ahead of the auction as they kept only two overseas players in their squad. With the rise of Devdutt Padikkal in the domestic circuit, Royal Challengers may not want to spend much money on a foreign opening batsman but their middle order looks very weak without Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Akshdeep Nath and Colin de Grandhomme.

The team management would not mind investing their funds in an explosive overseas middle-order batsman and the best candidate for that role is Glenn Maxwell. Given that the track at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is tailor made for him and he has even scored a T20 hundred at the venue, Royal Challengers should break the bank to sign him in the auction.

They can send him to bat at number six and there he could form a destructive partnership with AB de Villiers or Moeen Ali.