Former India opener Virender Sehwag expressed astonishment over Glenn Maxwell's continuous failures in the ongoing IPL, especially considering his price tag.
Sehwag’s comments came in the wake of Kings XI Punjab’s (KXIP) 69-run thrashing at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Dubai on Thursday (October 8).
See Also: CSK batsmen treating the franchise as a government job, says Virender Sehwag
Maxwell, who was roped in by KXIP at the IPL 2020 auction for a whopping sum of Rs 10.75 Crore, hasn’t been able to live up to the expectations.
In 6 matches this season, the Australian batsman has managed just 48 runs with a strike-rate of less than 100.
On Thursday, Maxwell scored only 7 during KXIP’s daunting chase of 202 against SRH.
"Don't know what sort of a platform Glenn Maxwell needs to explode. He came in early (against Sunrisers Hyderabad) after Punjab lost two batsmen quickly. A lot of overs were left this time, but he failed. Earlier, he didn't have pressure (batting in the death overs in previous matches), yet he got out without performing," Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
Sehwag was also left baffled by the fact that Maxwell managed to attract huge price bid almost every season. In the IPL 2018 auction, Delhi Capitals fetched him for Rs 9 Crore.
Glenn Maxwell’s numbers in IPL certainly suggest that franchises go after him just for his reputation rather than performances. In 75 IPL games, he has scored 1445 runs at an average of 22.23 and strike-rate of 156.55 with 6 fifties.
"I can't quite understand his mindset because it's been the same story every year. He gets sold in the auction for a hefty price but the result remains the same. Yet, people (franchises) run after him. This is something I don't understand," Sehwag said.
For the IPL 2021 auction, Sehwag expects Maxwell to be picked for Rs 1-2 Crore.
"In the next auction, I think his price will drop from 10 crores to somewhere around Rs. 1-2 crores which is what it should be. It has to be kept in mind that he scored his last half-century in 2016. Today, he was only required to give Pooran some company. If he could just stay at the other end of the pitch, Pooran might have won KXIP the match. In the end, Pooran was left alone and got dismissed," he opined.
