Glenn Maxwell Feels Time Has Come For Kings XI Punjab To Lift IPL 2020 as Kings XI Punjab has not lifted the auspicious Indian Premier League even once despite having great players in their ranks. They had been served by Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, Australian Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Aaron Finch, South African Hashim Amla, and David Miller as well as Indians Ravichandran Ashwin and Virender Sehwag to name a few in the past seasons.
Kings XI Punjab will be led by KL Rahul this year and KXIP have some international stars on their list like big-hitting Chris Gayle, pacer Sheldon Cottrell and Chris Jordan, spinner James Neesham and several Indian star players like batsman KL Rahul, pacer Mohammad Shami, all-rounder Deepak Hooda, batsmen Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, and Karun Nair and U-19 World Cup pacer Ishan Porel and spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
Glenn Maxwell Feels Time Has Come To Lift IPL Trophy
Glenn Maxwell who is an Australian big-hitting batsman has not lived up to expectations and has scored only 1397 runs in 69 matches at a below-par average of 22.90 besides picking 16 wickets at an average of 38.18 overall for all franchises he represented.
“I certainly feel that the whole competition thinks that it is Kings XI Punjab’s time to win that IPL trophy,” says a jovial Glenn Maxwell in an interview to a leading cricket website.
“It’s getting closer and closer for us, they have been working hard for the last six years, and I’m certainly hoping that my addition and a few other additions this year that we can go all the way this year,” added the Australian all-rounder.
Glenn Maxwell will turn out for KXIP again after turning out for Delhi Capitals in 2018. He had represented Kings XI Punjab from 2014 to 2017 and became the second most expensive buy at 2020 IPL auctions, behind Australian Pat Cummins.
In the 2014 Auctions, he was bought by Punjab for 6 crores and he restored their faith by scoring 95 against Chennai, 89 against Rajasthan Royals, 95 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and 90 against Chennai in the return leg. He scored 7 fifties in the 2014 edition including 3 scores in the nineties.
“I think it’s good timing. Back in Kings XI colours, certainly looking forward to linking up with the guys in the UAE and hitting the ground running. I can’t wait to start playing with KL Rahul and play on his team rather than against him, I just think he’s an absolute class act,” added Maxwell, reigniting hopes amongst many KXIP supporters.
KL Rahul is definitely a star in the making as he has scored centuries in all three formats in international cricket and IPL. He has 5 centuries in 36 tests, 4 in 32 one-dayers, 2 in T20Is, and 1 in IPL.
Glenn Maxwell Felt Conditions Suited Him When IPL Was Held In UAE The First Time In 2014
Their best came in IPL 2014 where they were finalists but lost to Kolkata Knight Riders who put up a great show by chasing exactly 200 runs by a spirited show by Indian batsman Manish Pandey who scored 94 of only 50 balls as KXIP lost despite their wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha’s scoring a century. Wriddhiman Saha who hails from Kolkata scored 115 from 55 balls but ended up on the losing side.
“I think I started that tournament really well,” revealed Glenn Maxwell, speaking in reference to his 2014 season while going on to add “I prepared really well that year and the conditions really suited me.
IPL 2014 saw IPL being partly played in the United Arab Emirates before returning to India due to elections. Glenn Maxwell who was a part of the team felt comfortable in the conditions which suited batsmen.
“The grounds there are still quite big so there’s a lot of open space. There’s not a whole lot of bounce or spin, it is just a nice place to play. Always felt really comfortable there, something about the ground really suits my eye. When you find grounds like that anywhere in the world, you can start to get a real feel for them,” explained the Australian all-rounder.
“Myself and David (Miller) had a great season in 2014, and the joy that it brought to the Kings XI Punjab fans is something that I’ll never forget,” concluded Maxwell.
David Miller, unlike Glenn Maxwell, had a decent batting average of 43.72 scoring 1443 runs in 52 matches.