Anil Kumble Opines The Reason For Bidding Big For Glenn Maxwell
Dec 20, 2019 at 8:00 PM
Glenn Maxwell‘s break from the cricket didn’t affect the bidders in the IPL 2020 auction. He became one of the most expensive players in the auction. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) splashed INR 10.75 crore for his service. KXIP’s newly-appointed head coach Anil Kumble gave the reason for his purchase.
Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab went in fierce bidding for the Australian player. However, the bid ended with Kings winning the batsman. This will be the second time Maxwell will play for the Punjab-based franchise.
Maxwell played for KXIP from 2014-2017. His best IPL year so far has been with Punjab in 2014, when he single-handedly took them to the final. In 2018, he shifted his base to the Delhi franchise and played 12 matches. However, he didn’t feature in the last edition.
We needed a power hitter, and we felt Glenn Maxwell was the right person to fill that gap – Anil Kumble
Head Coach Anil Kumble revealed the reason behind getting Glenn Maxwell for the upcoming edition. He believes that Maxwell is a power hitter that will give them crucial support.
“We have done well because we had almost 50% getting into the auction and by far we have gotten what we wanted. This is a good platform for Glenn Maxwell with the T20 World Cup around the corner to come here and we know the quality he brings, not just as a batsman but as a fielder and a bowling option and he can bat anywhere in the middle order too,” Kumble said.
”So that’s the advantage and we needed a power hitter and we felt Maxwell was the right person to fill that gap,” Anil Kumble told the host broadcasters after the auction.
Just a few months earlier, Maxwell took a break from the game to deal with mental health issues. Now, he has made a comeback and currently he is playing the Big Bash League (NNL). Till the upcoming edition of IPL arrives, he will be back in his form.