Speculation to continue over Australia’s Twenty20 side after a season Maxwell would rather forget

Glenn Maxwell has continued his horror form into the IPL elimination final and finished the season with another golden duck. DANIEL CHERNY analyses if the star will make Australia’s Twenty20 side.

For all those who called for David Warner to be replaced by his red-hot Delhi Capitals teammate Jake Fraser-McGurk in Australia’s Twenty20 side, consider that Warner made as many runs in one IPL innings this season as Glenn Maxwell did for the entire campaign.

Warner’s 52 against the Chennai Super Kings in later March was the highlight of a middling Indian stint from the veteran, yet his 168 runs at a strike rate of 134.4 was still more than three times Maxwell’s cumulative output from one fewer innings than the Victorian, and at a better clip too.

Granted Maxwell managed six wickets with his off-breaks, but it is hard to recall a batter of his class having as barren a major event as the one the Victorian endured.

Maxwell hoped that dropping himself mid-season would be the circuit breaker, but that did not materialise.

The last indignity came as Royal Challengers Bengaluru - who had fought valiantly just to qualify for the finals - were beaten by the Rajasthan Royals in Wednesday night’s eliminator.

Maxwell recorded his fourth duck of the campaign - his record-equalling 18th across his IPL career - when he skied Ravichandran Ashwin to long-on first ball.

Glenn Maxwell’s horror IPL season ended with a golden duck. Picture: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP

Maxwell’s former Melbourne Stars teammate Kevin Pietersen was left flabbergasted by the way the World Cup hero had fallen.

“What on earth was that from Glenn Maxwell?” Pietersen said on the host broadcast.

“This is a huge game, you need the biggest players and you need to perform, you need to give yourself a chance. That there from Glenn Maxwell I’m afraid isn’t good enough.”

Dual World Cup winner Tom Moody was similarly perplexed.

“I think at the moment where he is at with regards to his form, it was reckless,“ Moody said on ESPN.

“If he was in red-hot form, I don’t have an issue with him hitting that first ball straight for a six because 19 times out of 20, he would hit it for a six.

“It’s a bit like what we’ve seen [Shivam] Dube do for CSK. First ball, in his arc, bang goes for six. They are all up applauding it. Maxwell is the same but Maxwell is not in that sweet spot when it comes to form. So I put that down as reckless cricket and an absolute brain fade.”

Even after the golden duck there was more pain, with Maxwell putting down Tom Kohler-Cadmore at deep square leg in what proved a successful run chase for the Royals, who ensured the tortured RCB franchise would go another season without a men’s title.

The 35-year-old said that he had entered the tournament drained, in part owing to an arduous promotional filming schedule in the days leading up to the start of the season.

After a disastrous IPL season, will Glenn Maxwell be named in Australia’s Twenty20 side? Picture: Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP

For Australian fans none of this will really matter as long as Maxwell finds form come the T20 World Cup. Australia’s tournament opener against Oman is less than a fortnight away.

RCB coach Andy Flower was part of the Aussie coaching setup in India last year when Maxwell summoned his best to be a key cog in Australia’s one-day World Cup triumph.

Flower was optimistic that Maxwell’s struggles would not extend to the Caribbean.

“Maxi’s had a tough season, absolutely, and we know what he can contribute. It’s been a really tough season for him. He’s had an amazing couple of years actually. It was a surprise to everyone but I really wish him well.

“He’s going to the World Cup now and I don’t see any reason why he can’t turn this around or turn his own personal form around in the World Cup for Australia and I look forward to watching that.”

As of late Thursday it was still unclear whether Maxwell and RCB teammate Cameron Green would return to Australia or head straight to the West Indies ahead of the Aussies’ first warm-up match against Namibia next Wednesday.

All-rounder Green overcame a slow start to the IPL to finish with 255 runs and 10 wickets. His versatility shapes as important for Australia. This is especially given the ongoing injury concerns around captain Mitch Marsh - who may not be available to bowl early in the tournament as he recovers from a hamstring strain - and Marcus Stoinis’ tendency for soft tissue trouble.

With RCB eliminated, only Travis Head, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc remained involved in the IPL of Australia’s 15-man squad.