The highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season is set to commence with a exciting encounter between cricket giants Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 22. Legends of the game, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, will be against each other in what promises to be an electrifying start to the 17th IPL edition.
Focus on Ravindra Jadeja vs Glenn Maxwell clash
In a recent discussion on Star Sports’ ‘Game Plan,’ cricket stalwarts Matthew Hayden and Harbhajan Singh delved into the crucial matchup between CSK’s Ravindra Jadeja and RCB’s Glenn Maxwell. Both experts highlighted how this battle could play a decisive role in shaping the outcome of the season opener.
Maxwell’s struggle against Jadeja
Maxwell has faced challenges against Jadeja in previous IPL encounters, maintaining a batting average of 11.7 with a strike rate of 137.3. In 51 balls against Jadeja, Maxwell scored 70 runs. Notably, Jadeja has dismissed the Australian batters six times in their 11 IPL meetings, making him Maxwell’s most frequent dismissive bowler in the competition.
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Expert insights: Harbhajan Singh and Matthew Hayden’s perspectives
Harbhajan, sharing his insights on the talk show, expressed why Maxwell might find it challenging to play his natural game against Jadeja. He backed Jadeja to continue his dominance over the Australian player.
“It is a big task for anyone to just go out there and start hitting those sixes. You have to give yourself time to play in singles and doubles. If you don’t play 10 balls here before you start hitting those boundaries, I think you’re putting yourself in a danger zone. You can get out any time. So in this particular battle, I think Jadeja will be ahead of Maxwell on that wicket, where it will do a little bit for Jadeja. It will hold a bit. There will be a bit of side spin as well,” Harbhajan said.
Hayden, also part of the discussion, supported Jadeja but advised caution, acknowledging Maxwell’s X factor and his overall records against CSK.
“Maxwell’s most potent matchup is actually Chennai Super Kings. He’s got a strike rate of 187 against Chennai Super Kings, averaging 30. But he scores almost 20% of his team’s runs. He (Maxwell) has got that X factor, that weirdness about the way that he goes about his match play that can take an opposition side out of their comfort zone, promote panic, and then win a game of cricket off his own. But he’s one of those unique characters. Backing Jadeja, but be cautious of Maxwell, because he loves Chennai Super Kings as a match-up. And there’s not too many batters in world cricket that you can actually say that,” Hayden said.