Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell, aka ‘the Big Show’, is a maverick who’s just one of his kind. On some of the best balls bowled by any bowler, he has the ability to play some unbelievably audacious shots and also tends to get out in some of the weirdest fashion. 

Dismantling bowling line-ups, crushing bowlers’ confidence, and bamboozling them are the common traits of his batting, but he has also been criticised heavily for being reckless and not caring enough about the situation and the state of play. 

Apart from his batting prowess, Maxwell is renowned for being a handy bowler and a gun fielder, both inside and outside the 30-yard circle.

Maxwell has shown the skills of making a season big for himself and his team when he helped Australia post huge scores repetitively in the ICC World Cup 2015, which the Kangaroos went on to win.

The Big Show made his international debut for the Aussies in an ODI match against Afghanistan in 2012. In the very same year he was handed his maiden T20I cap against Pakistan, on the back of a sensational domestic season with Victoria.

Maxwell was impressive in his first year at the international level and was rewarded with the baggy green cap for the second Test against India in 2013. He was predominantly used as a second spinner and had an average Test match to begin with. 

The big-hitter was in the Australian squad for the 2014 World T20, and he performed exceptionally well with both bat & ball. In a group stage game against Pakistan, he slammed 74 off 33 deliveries, which included six huge hits over the fence. He finished the tournament as Australia’s second-highest run getter in the tournament, making 147 runs at a strike-rate of 210.

Post the World T20, Maxwell was mainly used as a bits-and-piece player and was in and out of the team due to poor performances in both white-ball formats. 

However, the power-packed player was given another opportunity to shine in the 2015 ODI World Cup for the Aussies. Maxwell repaid the selectors' faith by hammering 324 runs at an average of 64.80. 

Maxwell blasted a 51-ball century against Sri Lanka in Sydney. It was the fastest century by an Australian in ODIs, and the second-fastest in World Cup history. 

In the same year, Maxwell was awarded the Allan Border Medal for the T20I performer of the year.

Subsequently, in the T20I series against Sri Lanka in mid-2016, Maxwell scored an unbeaten 145 off 65 deliveries, which was recorded as the second-highest score in T20I history. 

Earlier in 2017, Australia toured India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. There, in the third Test match of the series, Maxwell scored his maiden Test ton (104 off 185 balls) and became only the second Australian after Shane Watson to score a century in all three formats of the game. 

In early 2018, following the suspension of Steven Smith and David Warner, Maxwell was urgently called upon in the Test squad against South Africa, but he did not get a chance to feature in the playing XI.

He was a part of the Australian squad for the 2019 ODI World Cup in England, but only managed to score 175 runs in 10 innings. 

In the home series against India in 2020, Maxwell was at his best in the ODI format. He amassed 167 runs in three matches as Australia won the ODI series 2-1. 

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been an integral part of Maxwell’s success in his career as the all-rounder shone through the season in 2014, hitting multiple match-winning scores and helping the Kings XI Punjab (now known as Punjab Kings) achieve impossible targets. His knock of 95 from 43 balls against CSK and a 45-ball 89 against RR resulted in a crushing defeat for the opposing teams. He ended up scoring 552 runs from 14 innings in IPL 2014.

But, Maxwell faltered in the IPL after that season and could manage to add to his total runs tally by only 145 runs and 179 runs. He was entrusted to lead the side in the 2017 season, but he failed to seize the opportunity and was subsequently released by the team.

Maxwell made his comeback in the Punjab Kings in 2020 after the franchise decided to buy him for INR 10.75 crore. He had an average season, amassing 108 runs in 13 matches and was also ineffective with the ball. 

Surprisingly, he could not even hit a single ball over the fence and looked woefully out of touch in the cash-rich league. Former Indian batsman, Virender Sehwag, went on to tag him as a ‘10-crore-cheerleader'. 

Later, he was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2021 auction, and eyebrows were raised when RCB decided to rope him for a whopping price of INR 14.25 crore. In 2021, Royal Challengers Bangalore acquired Maxwell after an intense bidding war with Chennai Super Kings during the IPL auction. He ended the season as the team’s top scorer with 513 runs and was subsequently retained for the 2022 season. He became an asset for the Royal Challengers and played a couple of extraordinary seasons for them.

Continuing his extraordinary form, Maxwell equaled Rohit Sharma’s record for the most T20I centuries when he scored his fourth career T20I century against India. Notably, he became the first batter in men's T20I history to register three centuries while chasing. Additionally, he is the only cricketer to score a century in his 100th T20I match, a landmark that further solidified his legacy.

Maxwell’s remarkable records extend beyond international cricket. During the 2021–22 Big Bash League (BBL) season, he scored 154 not out against the Hobart Hurricanes, setting the record for the highest individual score in the league’s history and leading his team to the highest total ever in the competition.

In 2021, Royal Challengers Bangalore acquired Maxwell after an intense bidding war with Chennai Super Kings during the IPL auction. He ended the season as the team’s top scorer with 513 runs and was subsequently retained for the 2022 season.

One of Maxwell’s most iconic performances came during the 2023 World Cup on November 7, when he played an unbeaten knock of 201 runs against Afghanistan. Despite struggling with cramps and injury during the innings, Maxwell adapted his gameplay in partnership with captain Pat Cummins. This epic performance not only secured a crucial semi-final spot for Australia but was also widely hailed as one of the greatest ODI innings ever played. He played a key role in Australia’s victory in the ICC World Cup 2023. 

Maxwell’s form remained unstoppable post-World Cup. In November 2023, during a T20I against India, he scored 104 runs off 48 balls, leading Australia to a target of 223. This innings included eight fours and eight sixes, with 18 runs coming from the final over. In February 2024, he struck his fifth T20I century against the West Indies, scoring 120 not out off 55 balls, again equaling Rohit Sharma’s record for the most T20I centuries.

Maxwell also holds the distinction of being the fastest player to reach four T20I centuries, achieving this milestone in 92 innings. Furthermore, he shares the record for the fastest T20I century by an Australian, accomplishing it in 47 balls.

Ahead of the 2025 IPL season, Maxwell will represent the Punjab Kings, after being released by RCB after a rather poor season in 2024. 

(As of March 2025)