The recent Indian Premier League (IPL) statistics of Glenn Maxwell, an all-rounder with the Punjab Kings (PBKS), left former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull perplexed. Since the 2024 season began, the seasoned Australian player has not performed at his peak and is having difficulty maintaining his spot in the starting lineup.
Maxwell only managed 52 runs at an average of 5.78 in nine innings during the 2024 Indian Premier League before being released by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Only twice during the season did he score in double figures, and he was once benched from the starting lineup due to poor play.
Since RCB decided not to use their Right to Match (RTM) option, PBKS signed him for INR 4.2 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. The Gujarat Titans (GT) gave the all-rounder a golden duck to start the 2025 season. Since then, he has continued to score poorly, scoring just 41 runs at an average of 8.20 in five innings.
Maxwell is mostly playing as a bowler, according to Simon Doull, due of his unsettling batting results.
“I look at those numbers now, and I didn’t realise they are that bad. They are really bad. That’s telling from a guy who is picked to be a genuine all-rounder. You would normally say that bowling is his second skill. I mean a strike rate of 116, and 86 runs in 13 innings at an average of 6, that is really average stuff. Those are awful numbers, and to keep him in the team purely as a bowling option is a very interesting one,” Doull said on Cricbuzz (1:35).
Maxwell is playing a vital role as PBKS’s second spinner, despite his dismal batting performance. The off-spinner, who has taken four wickets at an economy rate of 8.46 in six games, comes onto the bowl during the powerplay and to scare the left-handed hitters.
When PBKS defeated KKR in Mullanpur, the Australian took the vital wicket of Venkatesh Iyer. The batting collapse kept his team in the hunt as the removal dropped the Ajinkya Rahane-led team to 74-5 in the eleventh over.
“We wanted the matchups with the ball with Glenn Maxwell” – PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting
PBKS, who were having trouble staying consistent following their flying start to the season, were about to undergo changes. Prior to the match against KKR, the Shreyas Iyer-led team had to make changes to their starting lineup after suffering two straight defeats, particularly with Lockie Ferguson sidelined for the season.
Many believed that Glenn Maxwell’s career was coming to an end, but Marcus Stoinis, another Australian all-rounder, was unexpectedly left out. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Josh Inglis, who made his IPL debut.
Ricky Ponting justified keeping Maxwell in the starting lineup, citing the left-handed, strong KKR batting lineup as a major factor.
“We wanted the matchups with the ball with Glenn Maxwell. So unfortunately, for Marcus Stoinis, it had to be him that missed out tonight,” Ricky Ponting told the broadcasters after the match (via India Today)
On Friday, April 18, PBKS will play the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
