IPL 2021: Gautam Gambhir predicts Glenn Maxwell's new franchise

Australia star Glenn Maxwell will be hoping that he gets another IPL contract in the upcoming auction.The hard-hitting batsman is one of the best T20 batsmen in the world but has not really managed to deliver in the IPL in recent times. In fact, barring the 2014 season when he scored 552 runs and helped Kings XI Punjab make it to the final, he has not delivered as per expectations.

Since that season, he managed to score more than 200 runs only once when he amassed 310 runs in 2017. Maxwell had his worst IPL season last year when he managed to score just 108 runs in 13 games while plying his trade for Kings XI Punjab. Unsurprisingly, the Punjab-based outfit released him last month ahead of the upcoming auction.

The auction for IPL 2021 is scheduled to take place on February 18 in Chennai. Maxwell is one of the 292 players who will go under the hammer for 61 available slots. It would not be surprising if the Australia star causes yet another bidding war in the auction thanks to his undeniable talent with the bat. He is also a handy spinner and a gun fielder.

Gautam Gambhir predicts Glenn Maxwell’s destination:

While only time will tell Glenn Maxwell’s new IPL team, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has predicted that Royal Challengers Bangalore might secure his services in the forthcoming auction. Gambhir, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles, opined that RCB might go for Maxwell as the batsman could be the ‘x-factor’ for them.

“There will be a couple of teams who will be eager to go into the auctions and buy the players they want. There is Kings XI Punjab, there is RCB, who will be looking to get some players to get their balance right. These sides will be very, very active in the auctions,” Gambhir said on Star Sports during the Lunch break on Day 1 of the second Test between India and England.

“If I look at their (RCB) entire batting line-up they have got, Virat Kohli will definitely be looking to open the batting, because that is where he has been most successful. Padikkal has done very, very well for them in the previous season. Then they have got AB, and then they can have someone like Maxwell – the X factor,” he added.

Meanwhile, RCB have the most number of vacancies in their squad. The Bangalore-based outfit need to buy 11 players to complete their squad. The three-time finalists have a purse of INR 34.9 crore to fill their squad.