Maxwell opts for break after forgettable run in IPL 2024
There were speculations that the Aussie might have sat out because of a thumb injury but it wasn’t the case.
A day after he earned a million-dollar bid in favour of him for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), Glenn Maxwell seems to have hit his power-hitting form as he played a fiery 83-run knock for Melbourne Stars against Brisbane heat on Friday in the ongoing Big Bash League.
On Thursday, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) bought Maxwell at the IPL 2020 auction at a whopping amount of INR 10.75 crore and on the very next day the batsman was at his usual best as he helped his team win with his 39-ball innings.
Batting first, Melbourne rode on Maxwell’s destructive show with the willow to post 167/7 in their quota of 20 overs after witnessing a top-order collapse.
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Chasing, Brisbane Heat kept on losing regular wickets with skipper Chris Lynn failing again before getting dismissed for 6. Eventually, Brisbane succumbed to a 22-run defeat.
At the IPL 2020 auction, Maxwell, with the base price of INR 2 crore, was expected to be the biggest attention-seeker at the auction, being held in Kolkata and the same was repeated when Delhi Capitals and KXIP engaged in a fierce bidding war for the 31-year-old.
However, the Mohali-based franchise kept on with their interest for the 32-year-old Australian and went at the extent of paying him more than Rs 10 crore.
“We needed a power hitter and we felt Maxwell was the right person to fill that gap,” head coach of KXIP Anil Kumble said while speaking at Star Sports’ Cricket Live Show as quoted by IANS.
“We have done well, because we had almost 50 per cent 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,” he added.
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