Punjab Kings may have pulled off one of the greatest wins in IPL history against KKR, but we can’t ignore Glenn Maxwell’s nightmare run—a struggle that’s been ongoing since 2024. Punjab Kings shelled out ₹4.2 crores for him, hoping for a revival in 2025, but Maxwell, let’s just say if his form was WiFi, he’s been stuck on 2G for a long time.
Five innings this season, just 41 runs—an average of 8.2 with a strike rate of 100. And guess what? 30 of those runs came in one knock against Rajasthan Royals. The rest were all single-digit scores. That’s not the kind of return you pay big bucks for.
But the nightmare didn’t start this year. Since IPL 2024, Maxwell has played 14 innings, scoring only 93 runs at an abysmal average of 6.64—the lowest among 75 players with at least 10 innings during this period. Not to forget, out of those 14 innings, 5 times he got out for a duck.
Punjab’s decision to bench Marcus Stoinis, who smashed an unbeaten 34 off 11 balls last game, to stick with Maxwell is baffling. Sure, Maxwell took Venkatesh Iyer’s wicket, but don’t forget, Varun Chakravarthy continues to haunt him. The two have faced off in 31 balls, and Maxwell has been dismissed four times by Chakravarthy.
While PBKS may have pulled off the unthinkable against KKR, Maxwell’s form remains a big concern for them. ‘The Big Show’ has been anything but that, and unless he finds his mojo soon, it might be time for him to warm the bench.
