Glenn Maxwell might be able to fetch hefty sum at the IPL auctions with different franchises over the years, but former India opener Gautam Gambhir reckons that the Australian cricketer has been disappointing throughout his stint at the T20 league.
In IPL 2021, Maxwell will turn up for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after the Virat Kohli-led franchise roped him in for a whopping INR 14.25 crore.
WATCH - Maxwell plays unorthodox shots off Chahal in his first practice session with RCB
Earlier, Maxwell has played for Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).
"Had Maxwell done really well in the IPL, he wouldn't have played for so many franchises, to be honest. He's played for so many franchises because he's not been consistent at all. We can't keep talking about 'he hasn't had the freedom' for the previous franchises he's played for... when he played for Delhi, he had a lot of freedom. Most of these franchises and coaches - because they think he's an X-factor - they want to try and provide him with the best platform where he can succeed," Gambhir told ESPNcricinfo.
"The most unfortunate thing is that despite getting that platform, he has not succeeded, apart from that one season in 2014 where he set the IPL on fire. Had he done that, I think none of the franchises would have released him. Look at what Andre Russell has done for KKR and the amount of time he's spent at one franchise," he added.
Further elaborating his point on Maxwell, the former KKR skipper said: "The only reason why a franchise releases you is because you haven't performed. The more franchises you play for, it just shows you haven't really been able to get settled in any of the franchises. Hopefully, he delivers this time around because every year, he keeps getting more and more money just because he does really well for Australia. So hopefully from RCB's point of view, he can do really well."
"He's probably got freedom more than any other player in the IPL. I feel he has been very disappointing throughout the IPL, but hopefully, this time around he can turn it," he continued.
Overall, Glenn Maxwell has featured in 82 IPL games, scoring 1505 runs at a strike-rate of 154.68 with six half-centuries.
IPL 2021 is due to begin on April 9, with Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener at Chepauk.
