In-form Australian superstar Glenn Maxwell is of the belief that one single player can change a T20 World Cup - but he isn't putting himself in that bracket.
The 33-year-old will come into this year's tournament with plenty of expectation, after he starred for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the recent IPL season.
Maxwell scored over 500 runs at an average of 42.75 in 15 matches, with the season finishing just weeks before Australia's first match in the World Cup against South Africa this Saturday night (AEDT).
'The Big Show' is brimming with confidence right now, and his form for RCB and the opportunity to work alongside AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli is a big reason why.
“I think what clicked for me at the start of the tournament, I was able to get myself into the tournament," he said in a Zoom press conference on Tuesday.
"In the first two games I wasn’t scoring a lot of runs, but I was having to spend a bit of time out in the middle. I tried to get used to the conditions and adapt to what was in front of me, the pace of the wickets.
"The hardest thing was a lot of the training venues that we had weren’t all that similar to what you face in the middle, so I think to spend as much possible time out in the middle during games and get a bit of match practice was really helpful.
“I was pretty fortunate to have the line-up that I did at RCB during the IPL and have those experienced players around me and feed off their energy.
"I was extremely fortunate that every day was a learning experience, every day I was finding something new out and was being a sponge to Virat and AB, and just watching the way they go about things.
"That’s the one thing in the IPL I’ve always been extremely thankful of, is the opportunities it gives you to learn off the best players in the world.
"I was extremely fortunate to have two of the greats of the game in the same team – they were open to share their experiences and talk to me about their game.
"It makes you feel 10-feet tall when you’ve got their backing and they are watching you and asking you questions. It makes you feel confident, makes you feel happy and we had a really good group there."
Maxwell has long been one of the most exciting players for Australia in white-ball cricket, and performed well in the ODI World Cup back in 2015 on home soil.
If Australia are to break their T20 World Cup hoodoo - which they are considered long-odds to do this year - Maxwell will be one of the men who need to stand up with the bat, ball and in the field.
And while the exciting all-rounder is of the belief that one man can change a T20 World Cup single-handedly, he is finding it hard to embrace that role for himself.
“I think the T20 World Cup is the one format where one person can beat you on the day," he said.
"It feels like if I look back over the years, I think 2012 was our best chance and even 2010 in West Indies. The one I played in 2012 where Shane Watson was Player of the Tournament, we were flying that whole tournament and we fell short at the semi-finals.
"We felt like we were a powerhouse, could do it with the bat and do it with the ball. You get onto a day and if someone from the opposition has a day out, it’s hard to stop and it can change the momentum of the game.
"It’s pretty fickle T20 cricket I think, and unfortunately we have been on the wrong side of it in some key games. I feel like we are getting closer – when we’ve had a strong squad in T20 with everyone available, it has been great to watch and it’s been exciting for the crowd and we are extremely pumped to get this started.
“In my mind, I’m not sure I’ve completely embraced that. I’m thinking in this World Cup, if I can play my role and have a positive impact as much as I can, whether it be bat, ball or field, and continue to provide energy for the T20 team – if I can continually look to have a positive impact and continue the process I was doing during the IPL, I know I’m going to have success.
"It’s a good position to be in mentally, I’ve come off a good run of form and I’m not overthinking the stuff in game – once I get in the game, it’s all automatic.
"It’s not about if I play well, we’re gonna win a World Cup – there’s no thoughts of that. If I’m in a contest, I’ll give my best on the day and I’m sure that will be a positive impact on the team.
"Everyone in the squad is thinking the same team, and that’s going to be one of our big keys – trying to have a positive impact on whatever we do in the game."