Glenn Maxwell's Bizarre Battle with Limelight and Silence

Glenn Maxwell is one of those cricketers who can turn the game around in a matter of minutes. But his performance in the IPL in the last couple of years has a tale of highs and lows. At his best, he seems invincible. But when things do not go right it seems everything vanishes into thin air. The largest paradox with Maxwell is that he burns brightest when nobody is watching. But the more people watch, the more he dimly gets. This odd trend has followed him wherever he has gone in his career for IPL.

In 2014, he burst onto the scene at Punjab Kings with more than 500 runs at an astonishing strike rate. In that year he was on fire and nobody could foresee it. He was still green still green and pressure wasn't upon him. Freedom to perform it provided. But as soon as he won all the attention spotlight never budged. And at that spot focus his form slowly slipped. Even after he left RCB joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru Kohli roped him in and didn't simply import him just to strengthen team's middle order but also provided him space to perform. Kohli was convinced that if he kept Maxwell out of the limelight he would rediscover himself. And in 2021 that's what happened. Maxwell had an outstanding season scoring more than 500 runs and taking the team to the PlayOffs.

But then came the limelight again. And so did the slump. Maxwell struggled for the next two years. Then arrived 2024 which proved to be his worst season ever. He scored only 52 runs in 10 matches. The performance was so poor that he himself requested to be left out of the team. He even went on a 12-day break to relax his body and mind. What was more surprising was that he had recently completed the best six months of his international career. He had hit a 40-ball century against the Netherlands and a heroic double hundred against Afghanistan in the World Cup. But the magic failed to translate to the IPL.

This year in 2025 also nothing has changed. He came back to Punjab Kings once again but even that familiar platform has not been helpful. In his first six innings he has managed just 48 runs with 30 coming in a single match. Almost half the balls he encounters go nowhere and he is getting out every eighth ball. He has hit a single six in the season and it equals the single demerit point he accumulated. It is a sore statistic for a player who is famed for explosive power.

Spin is one of the issues Maxwell is currently dealing with. Five of his six dismissals this season have been at the hands of spinners. It may be Ashwin's carrom ball or a googly from Chakaravarthy he has no solutions. One game is particularly memorable where he even reverse-swept the first ball and got lbw. It was desperate and it gave him another duck in his IPL tally. Punjab Kings provided him opportunities in the initial six games but ultimately they had to drop him. Even in a game against RCB at Chinnaswamy where the small boundaries might have been beneficial to him he was not selected. That choice spoke volumes.

In a bid to reignite something coach Ricky Ponting recalled Maxwell against Kolkata. He was promoted over in-form players with the hope of providing him with a gentle landing and an opportunity to play freely. But once more it failed. He survived only eight balls and was bowled for the third consecutive time. No wonder Punjab has begun employing other players such as Nehal Wadhera for spin-hitting responsibilities.

Ponting has coached Maxwell before and has seen these struggles firsthand. Back in 2018 when he coached Delhi Capitals he was asked about Maxwell’s poor form and he had no answer. Seven years later the question remains the same. What is wrong with Maxwell and how long should teams wait for him to return to form?

It’s tough for coaches and even tougher for fans. Wathcing Maxwell is like waiting for a miracle. You never know when it happens. And when it doesn't, the hope becomes disappointment and then silence. But it is the moment when you stop watching that Maxwell catches you off guard. That is the Glenn Maxwell paradox. He appears to need the shadows rather than the limelight. Perhaps the only means to elicit his genius is to cease anticipating it.

Recently while warming up before a match against Chennai Super Kings he stood alone at the door of the dressing room. The other players were training and practicing hard. But Maxwell just remained there half in and half out wondering whether he would join them. Eventually he slipped back inside into the quiet room. That quiet could be what he needs. Perhaps that is where the magic will come back.

With Glenn Maxwell the less you look the more he produces. Perhaps that's the key. And perhaps just perhaps the next miracle is lurking just around the corner.