India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has said that Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell seems happier and less tense while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2021 when compared to his stints with other teams in previous years.

Maxwell was the star of RCB’s recent win over defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2021, as he smashed a quick fifty and then snared two wickets as RCB won by 54 runs. Maxwell went hammer and tongs, bringing out his reverse hits against MI in the middle-overs, hitting 3 sixes and 6 boundaries for a 37-ball 56.

"He seems a lot happier at RCB than last year. You can see that in his performance. If you are happy at a particular place, if you think I want to make a contribution, want to make a difference, then you go out and try your best. That's what he is doing," Gavaskar told Star Sports.

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IPL 2020 was a horror for Maxwell who played for the Punjab Kings and made just 108 runs in 13 matches without hitting a single six. RCB showed trust in Maxwell, buying the all-rounder for Rs 14.25 crore in the IPL 2021 auction. And in 10 matches after signing for RCB, he has hit 300 runs and picked up 3 wickets.

Gavaskar further said that the presence of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers lessens the pressure on Maxwell and the franchise has given him the freedom to play his own game.

"I think he is happy in the company of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Maybe those two have taken the pressure of expectations from him. When he was at the Punjab Kings, the pressure of expectation was on him to turn the games around. But he knows he has got two match-winners in AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli and the pressure is not only on him," Gavaskar added.

RCB will next face Rajasthan Royals on September 29 in Dubai.