Glenn Maxwell – The Big Show

Glenn Maxwell has represented Australia in every format, without ever becoming the sort of world beater many thought he would be. He enjoyed a spectacular World Cup campaign as Australia won the trophy on home soil in 2015 but has found consistency hard to come by. Shunted in and out of the Test side, especially on tours to the subcontinent where his ability to attack the spinners was valued, he played only 7 matches. There was even a Test hundred in Ranchi (2017), but he played his last game in whites later that year. Such is the impact of his big hitting in the shorter formats of the game that even after playing his last Test four years ago, he was part of Australia’s T20 World Cup team for the 2021 edition of the tournament. In spite of having a relatively quiet tournament, Maxwell went on to lift the trophy with the Australian team, which defeated New Zealand in the final.

In the shortest format, his ability to improvise and upset bowlers’ rhythm has seen him play some epic knocks. There have been 3 hundreds for Australia, and only India’s Rohit Sharma has scored more. But consistency has been an issue there as well. In the Indian T20 League, which should have been the perfect platform for a man with his talent, he has enjoyed one exceptional season (2014) and one very good one (2017). His other stints, for teams that have broken the bank to get him, have been duds.

Now with the Bangalore team – who already have Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in their ranks – the pressure is slightly off despite the money spent on him at the auction. And so far, Maxwell has played with enough freedom and poise to justify Bangalore’s investment. The franchise went on to spend ₹11 crore from their allotted budget to retain Maxwell for yet another season. They will hope that he carries on to enjoy the kind of season he had with Punjab in 2014, when his brilliant hitting took them all the way to the final.

Adjudged Most Valuable Player that season, Maxwell turns 33 soon. You sense that both he, and a Bangalore team whose heroes aren’t getting younger, will never have a better chance to fill the gap in their trophy cabinets.

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