Glenn Maxwell of Australia claims the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been so wonderful to him that he will continue to participate in the lucrative T20 competition until he “can’t walk anymore.”
The IPL has provided the ideal platform for Maxwell’s powerful batting, and the 35-year-old is one of four international recruits retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the upcoming season.
Following his debut with the Delhi Daredevils in 2012, Maxwell attracted the highest price at the players auction the following year, with the Mumbai Indians paying $1 million for his services.
He returned to Delhi for one more season after a three-year stint in Punjab before making the move to Bangalore, where his destructive batting has earned him a fan favourite.
Maxwell clearly enjoys playing in India; he scored his only test century there in 2017 and helped Australia win the 50-overs World Cup last month.
“The IPL will probably be the last tournament I ever play, as I will play until I can’t walk anymore,” Maxwell told reporters on Wednesday.
“I was talking about how beneficial the IPL has been to me throughout my career — the people I’ve met, the coaches I’ve worked with, the foreign players you get to meet…
“You’re rubbing shoulders with AB (de Villiers) and Virat (Kohli) for two months, talking to them while watching other games,” he remarked, referring to the Bangalore veterans.
“It’s just the greatest learning experience that any player could ask for.”
Australia will be hoping for a significant contribution from Maxwell in the T20 World Cup next year in the West Indies and the United States, and the Victorian believes participating in the IPL before the big tournament will be beneficial.
“Hopefully a lot of our Australian players can get over to the IPL and get to work in slightly similar conditions to the West Indies, where it is a little bit drier, it will spin,” Maxwell said in a statement.
Maxwell will captain the Melbourne Stars in their Big Bash League debut against Brisbane at the Gabba on Thursday.