Fans of Royal Challengers Bangalore would be happy to hear that Australia’s Glenn Maxewll, an all-rounder, will continue to play in the IPL till he ‘cannot walk anymore.’ Maxwell stated on Wednesday, December 6, that “IPL will probably be the last tournament I ever play, as I will play the IPL until I can’t walk anymore.”
Maxwell began his IPL career in 2012 with the Delhi Daredevils (now the Capitals), and he has been a part of the league for over ten years. He became the first player to earn a million dollars in 2013 when the Mumbai Indians paid that much for him at the auction.
However, the year 2014 marked his breakthrough season as he made appearances for Kings XI Punjab (now known as Punjab Kings) and amassed 552 runs with a strike rate of 187.75. Before joining RCB after the 2021 auction, he had only one respectable season in the next five years, even by his high standards.
Maxwell has paid back the RCB’s faith (as well as INR 14.25 Crore) with season totals of 513, 301, and 400 in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively, and he is improving his strike rate every year. He scored at a scorching 183.49 only last season, which was his best since that amazing 2014 campaign.
“I was talking about how good the IPL has been to me throughout my career; the people I’ve met, the coaches I have played under, the international players that you get to rub shoulders with, how beneficial to my whole career that tournament has been,” Maxwell stated.
“For two months, you’re hanging out with Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, chatting with them while watching other games. It’s simply the best educational opportunity for any player.”
Maxwell hopes that more Australian players acquire IPL gigs so they can get acclimated to conditions they would face at the main event, because the IPL is scheduled to take place in the West Indies and USA right before the T20 World Cup in 2019. On December 19, seven players from Australia’s winning 50-over World Cup team—Travis Head, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Josh Inglis, and Steve Smith—will be put up for auction, with a maximum base price of INR 2 crore.
“Hopefully a lot of our Australian players can get over to the IPL and get to work in slightly similar conditions to the West Indies, where it is a little bit drier, it will spin.”
Maxwell, who will captain Melbourne Stars in Thursday’s BBL opener, also stated that Australia has already shifted its attention to the T20 World Cup championship as the next major goal.
“We all discussed shifting our attention to the next World Cup as soon as we won this one. With what’s coming up, I hope the BBL’s summer will be incredibly interesting,” he remarked.
India
