Glenn Maxwell
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) KL Rahul lauded Glenn Maxwell after they registered a convincing five-wicket victory against table-toppers Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday.
Considering Maxwell's inconsistent show with the bat this season, there were any questions over his inclusion in the squad against DC. The Australian, however, silenced his doubters by stitching a vital 32-run knock in the middle, helping KXIP to snatch two important points in the business end of the tournament.
"Obviously when 11 guys are playing. Not everyone will have a good on the field. It is important for the team that they back the match winners," Rahul said in the post-match press conference.
"We know what Maxwell can do when he comes good, he gives solidarity to the team and he balances out the team really well. To have Maxi come in the form is a very good sign and every batsman loves to hit the ball and spend some time in the middle," he added.
After electing to bat first, DC amassed a 164-run total on the back of Shikhar Dhawan's historic ton. However, Nicholas Pooran (53) and Maxwell (32) came with crucial knocks to ensure KXIP's resurgence. With this win, the Punjab side climbed up to the fifth position in the points table with 8 points from 10 matches. Skipper Rahul was elated after Punjab managed to thump two strong sides- Delhi and Mumbai- in their last two outings.
"Things are looking good for the team. A lot of things falling in place and the work behind the scenes by coaches is slowly showing on the field. It's a great sign and we hopefully can learn from our mistakes and go forward with more confidence," Rahul further said.
"Delhi and Mumbai are very strong teams and they've played well this season. The talk before the Mumbai game was that these two games are going to be really big games, but it's important that we stick to our strength and keep trusting ourself. Delhi is a good team and the way our bowlers bowled today, it gives us the bowlers, the individuals and the team a lot of confidence," he added.
Rahul also heaped praise on Mohammed Shami for his impressive bowling show. In his fours overs against DC, the speedster conceded only 28 runs and scalped two major wickets.
"We all know what Shami can do on a given day, he is doing that for many years now. This year he has shown a lot more clarity as a senior bowler. It's great to see how Shami is bowling this season," said Rahul.
