Bio-bubble can take a toll on the players' mental well-being, says Maxwell

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell who has had issues with mental health in the past, has spoken about the challenges of the bio-bubble life and how it can take a toll on the players' mental well-being.

In IPL 2021, Maxwell would be seen representing Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after he was bought by the franchise for Rs 14.25 crore.

"It is very difficult. The stresses around that, especially when you are travelling, you are stuck in kind of a nightmare where you are reliving the same day over and over again. You start to become a bit sheltered from the outside world and you sort of forget how to have normal conversations with people outside. That can be very hard mentally and it is something which is a massive challenge for the cricketers," Maxwell said in a video posted on the official Twitter account of RCB.

"It is certainly a difficult lifestyle, travel is not that glamorous it used to be. You are stuck in a hotel for an extended period of time, you can become sheltered and it puts a strain on your relationships as well. As long as players have support, they can get through," he added.

Australia had its first taste of bio-bubble in England last year where the Aaron Finch-led side played three T20Is and three ODIs.

Talking about how bubble life also helps in making the team bonding better, Maxwell said: "I certainly felt that when Australia was playing against England last year in a bio-bubble, the playing group got a lot closer together, we were staying at the cricket stadiums and we were not allowed to go outside. We were spending a lot of time together, I found it to be a great way to know people. It was our first bio-bubble together as well, we were excited to play cricket again."

When asked whether he was surprised about his price tag (Rs 14.25 crore) for IPL 2021, Maxwell said: "Not really, I thought there might be a little bit of interest. I think a lot of teams want that middle-order player, I knew there were a couple of teams who were looking for a middle-order player who can bowl off-spin as well. I am just glad two teams (CSK and RCB) went hard for me and in the end, RCB got hold of me."

"I suppose for me, I am so excited to get going again. New team, new tournament, we are back in India, I am excited to get stuck in. It was nice to see some friendly faces and just get some of that energy that you have been conserving during the seven-day quarantine. I want to have a positive influence on the group, if I see improvement in the whole squad, I want to make sure that everything I do has a positive influence on the group," he added.

IPL 2021 will commence on April 9 with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) locking horns in the tournament opener.