 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Maxwell upset Kohli with a gesture in a Test match...
Glenn Maxwell has had a rollercoaster ride in the Indian Premier League.
His journey, marked by both triumph and tribulation, has been intricately intertwined with Virat Kohli.
Before becoming team-mates at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Maxwell and Kohli shared a rather frosty relationship. An incident during the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series led to Kohli blocking Maxwell on Instagram.
'When I turned up for the pre-IPL training camp, we obviously got chatting... I went to his social media to follow him. I was like, 'I can't find him', Maxwell said on the LiSTNR Sport podcast
'I asked him "Have you blocked me on Instagram?" And he was like, "Yeah probably. It was when you mocked me during that Test match. I think I got the sh*** and decided to block you." I was like, "Yeah, that's fair enough". So yeah, he ended up unblocking me, and we became great friends after that,' Maxwell added.
IPL 2021 IPL saw Kohli, Maxwell and AB de Villiers form a formidable batting trio that took the league by storm.
Maxwell's early years in the IPL were spent with Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab). His 2014 season was particularly memorable, as he scored 552 runs and hit more sixes than any other player, leading his team to the final. The subsequent years proved to be challenging for both Maxwell and the franchise.
In 2017, Maxwell was handed the captaincy, but the season was marred by inconsistent performances and internal strife. He recalled instances of erratic decision-making and a lack of clarity, which negatively impacted the team's morale.
Tensions between Maxwell and Virender Sehwag reached a boiling point, culminating in a public fallout.
When the team's performance declined, Sehwag, instead of allowing Maxwell to address the media, chose to take the stage himself. Later, Maxwell was stunned to discover that Sehwag had publicly criticised him, labeling him a 'big disappointment'.
'By the time we reached the hotel, my phone was blowing up,' Maxwell wrote in his book, The Showman.
'Sehwag had unloaded on me as a "big disappointment", blaming me for not taking responsibility as captain. It was unpleasant, especially when I thought we had parted on good terms.'
Maxwell expressed his disappointment to Sehwag via a text message.
'I texted him to say how much it hurt to read those comments and added that he had lost a fan in me for the way he had conducted himself. But the response was cold and dismissive.' 'Don't need a fan like you,' Sehwag replied.
The two never spoke again, and Maxwell made it clear to the franchise owners that he would not continue if Sehwag remained with the team.
The following season, Sehwag's tenure with Punjab Kings came to an end, marking the final chapter in a tumultuous relationship between two strong personalities.