Glenn Maxwell has made a winning return to action in the IPL after his self-enforced break, taking a wicket in his first over of his comeback as his Royal Challengers Bengaluru outfit earned a much-needed win.
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The Australian allrounder had taken an indefinite "mental and physical break" from the IPL 12 days ago after struggling for form, but it took just four balls on his return in Ahmedabad on Sunday for 'Maxi' to delightedly grab a wicket that signalled he's back in business.
He let out a primal roar after grabbing the key wicket of Gujarat Titans' captain Shubman Gill with more than a little help from Aussie teammate Cameron Green, who made a fine catch at long-on.
Maxwell went on to enjoy decent figures of 1-28 off his three overs, while Green proved more expensive with 42 conceded off his three wicketless overs, as Gujarat made 3-200, thanks largely to the 49-ball 84 not out from Sai Sudharsan.
It looked like a challenging total - but Virat Kohli and Will Jacks had other ideas for RCB.
English World Cup candidate Jacks, in particular, was quite spectacular, cracking a stunning unbeaten century, with a winning six to reach the landmark off just 41 balls and to earn the visitors a nine-wicket victory with four overs still remaining.
England name their provisional 15 for the T20 World Cup in June on Tuesday, with Jacks underlining his case by even overshadowing the great Virat Kohli (70no off 44 balls) in their match-winning, unbeaten 166 partnership.
Jacks was happy, initially, to play second fiddle to Kohli, going at a run-a-ball 17, until he cracked the first of his 10 huge sixes.
He smashed 29 in one Mohit Sharma over and, after Kohli, the league's leading scorer in 2024 yet again, brought up his 500 runs for the season, Jacks took the world-beating spin of Rashid Khan to the cleaners, getting to the winning target and his hundred with 28 runs in five balls - six, six, four, six and six.
In the other Sunday game, it proved a tough afternoon for Pat Cummins' Sunrisers Hyderabad, whose power-scoring side misfired for the second game running with a 78-run defeat at Chennai Super Kings.
Cummins, who inserted the home side after winning the toss, got hammered for 49 off his wicketless four overs as Chennai made a formidable 3-212, thanks mainly to opposition skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's brilliant 98 off 54 balls.
Travis Head then teed off for 13 off seven balls only to miss out for the second match in succession, as Hyderabad succumbed for just 134, with New Zealander Daryl Mitchell taking five catches in the deep to go with his earlier half-century.
Australian Associated Press
