The veteran Australian spin all-rounder, Glenn Maxwell, caught the attention of the Indian public during the 2014 season of the Indian Premier League when he smashed 552 runs in 16 innings, playing for the Punjab Kings, at an average of 34.50 and a strike rate of nearly 190, with the help of four half-centuries.
But he struggled in the very next season with just 145 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate that dropped down to 130. The following season saw him throwing the blade at the balls for a strike rate of around 145. Even though Glenn Maxwell made a decent comeback in 2017 for his 310 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate over 170, the pressure was building on him.
The 36-year-old went in the event without a single half-century for nearly 39 innings between 2017 and 2020, besides missing out on the 2019 edition of the tournament. His time in the Delhi Capitals franchise, under the former head coach Ricky Ponting, also didn’t click.
“Not for lack of trying, I didn’t clear the rope in the whole tournament, something that became an internet joke, building game by game.” Glenn Maxwell looked back at the incident in his book, called ‘The Showman.’ “Returning home for a one-dayer against India straight after the tournament, nine balls into my knock, there was that sweet feeling of a switch hit coming out of the middle for six.”
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“The look on his (KL Rahul, the wicket-keeper of the game) face could best be described as “What the f***?” All I could do was shrug and say sorry.” The former T20I captain of Australia added.
He had the desire to be part of the tournament with Virat Kohli and Ab de Villiers, and that would have been possible only by playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
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The experienced player claimed that he was very excited with the whole scenario, and he became the ‘happiest cricketer in the world’ when the auctioneer confirmed that the 2016 runners-up had purchased him.
“But I still felt there had to be a twist in this story, and there was. Who to thank? Virat Kohli. On that same tour of Australia, he wanted to whisper an idea to me: him, me, and AB de Villiers to be the middle order at Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2021.” Glenn Maxwell recalled how the story of him coming into the RCB set-up for the 2021 season of the IPL began.
“I was in love with this before he finished his sentence. Having started with Sachin and Ricky, the chance to bat with the equivalent of them in my generation, in those gold pads no less, was irresistible.” The veteran cracked, as quoted by the ESPNcricinfo.
It was a great turn-around for the right-handed batter, who smashed 513 runs in 15 innings in IPL 2021 at an average of 42.75 and a strike rate of 144.10, with the help of six half-centuries. The strike rate went up to 169.10 in 2022 for his 301 runs.
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“Before then, auctions had come and gone. This time, though, I was obsessed. When the paddle came down for me from RCB, I was the happiest cricketer in the world. It was in Bangalore where I would begin my second act as a player. And it is what I learned in Bangalore colors that would allow me to play the most important cricket of my life.” Glenn Maxwell recalled.
The batter was retained for INR 11 crore by the franchise in 2022, but the previous season saw him struggling for just 52 runs in ten matches at a strike rate of 121. It will be interesting if the franchise again retains him for the 2025 season.