Kings XI Punjab star Glenn Maxwell again showed why he’s a man to watch out for ahead of IPL 2020.
The explosive all-rounder has been left out of Australia’s ODI tour of India this month but again showcased his talents in the BBL. He smashed an unbeaten 83 in 45 balls as Melbourne Stars bagged a derby day victory over Melbourne Renegades on Friday.
The knock underlines just why KXIP paid the second-highest fee for him at the IPL Auction 2020. Kings XI paid INR 10.75 crore for the services of Maxwell as they look to secure their first-ever IPL title. With the Australian in their ranks they could be seen as a value bet for this year's tournament.
Maxwell showcases his skills in BBL
Maxwell's quick-fire 83 helped Melbourne Stars to a seven-wicket win over their rivals.
His fine knock saw him hit seven sixes and also run 10 twos. He got brilliant support from Nick Larkin as they shared an unbeaten 114-run stand on the way to the win.
It leaves Stars top of the standings and Renegades winless.
After the win, Maxwell said: “They batted beautifully, luckily our bowlers did an outstanding job in the last few overs. I thought they were a little below par in the end.
“It was more about keeping 10 runs to chase, shorter square boundaries, so we targeted that.
“We still have a lot of things to work (on), we still dropped the ball a few times on the field. We need to cash in more in the PowerPlay.”
Maxwell still pushing for Australia ODI place
Australia ODI skipper Aaron Finch says the door isn’t closed on Maxwell just because he missed out on the trip to India.
He said: “People look at [that innings] and they see the results and see all the sixes and all the big-hitting, but the way he approached it last night was very clinical.
“It's never closed, but when you're picking a side there has to be a spot there. It just comes down to being in the right place at the right time and having the right match-up.
“You can only pick so many top-three batters.”
