IPL 2021 player auction: Glenn has a Max effect again, earns big bucks

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell celebrates his century in an ODI against England at Old Trafford last year. Pic/AFP

Glenn Maxwell is one of those few cricketers who has witnessed a continuous upward graph despite indifferent showing in the Indian Premier League.

On Thursday, the Aussie all-rounder set the auction room on fire with teams involved in fierce bidding. As many as four franchises showed interest with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) being the first to bid at his base price of Rs 2 crore. It was followed by Rajasthan Royals (RR) Just as KKR looked to seal it at Rs 3 crore, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) entered the fray. KKR continued to bid as the bid amount reached Rs 4 crore.

CSK's early interest

Chennai Super Kings entered the bidding process late and escalated Maxwell's value to Rs 5.5 crore. Maxwell's destination swung between Chepauk and Chinnaswamy Stadium. Maxwell eventually went for a whopping Rs 14.25 crore to RCB.

It certainly raised a few eyebrows considering his below-par last IPL - 108 runs in 11 innings - and just three wickets for Kings XI Punjab, who had paid him Rs 10.75 crore.

Maxwell, who first figured in the IPL as a replacement player for Delhi, cracked a USD 1 million deal when he was picked by Mumbai Indians in his very first auction in 2013. The following year, the Aussie offie was bought for Rs 6 crore by Punjab. In the 2017 auction, Maxwell went to Delhi for Rs 9 crore. In 2019, Punjab again signed him for Rs 10.75 crore as Maxwell returned from sabbatical.

2014 show was special

In eight IPLs, Maxwell's true worth was realised in the 2014 edition in which he scored 552 runs in 16 innings. His next best IPL was in 2017 (310 runs in 13 innings).
RCB's Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson explained why they splurged on Maxwell despite underwhelming returns in every IPL. "It very much depends on what role each team want him to play. Often, he is being used in a finisher's role. He is a multi-skilled player; he is a good fielder and is able to bowl off-spin. It just depends on what teams want [out of him]. It was only a few years ago, I think in 2017, when he was used slightly higher up in the order and he had one of his best IPLs. So, we will look at how best to use him," said the former New Zealand head coach.

Hesson is looking to use Maxwell as the X-factor in their middle order. "He will help us with a bit of power in the middle. We were after that X-factor player in the middle and we found that in Maxwell so we are delighted," he said.

Meanwhile, Maxwell is hoping to fulfill RCB's much-awaited dream of winning the IPL. "Looking forward to joining @RCBTweets for this years @IPL. Can't wait to put everything I have in to helping us lift the trophy!" he tweeted.