IPL declared 'irrelevant' as Usman Khawaja goes all out to support Glenn Maxwell

After leaving the Royal Challengers Bengaluru high and dry in the 2024 IPL edition, Glenn Maxwell has found support from countryman Usman Khawaja.

Glenn Maxwell went through his worst-ever Indian Premier League season in his 4th season with the RCB franchise, who bought him for 14.25 crores in the 2021 auction. In his first season with Bengaluru, Maxwell had a tremendous season, scoring 513 runs from 15 matches at a strike rate of 144.10 including 6 half-centuries with a best of 78.

Glenn Maxwell's IPL 2024 season as it went

In his second season, Glenn Maxwell scored 301 runs from 13 games at a nearly 170 strike rate and was key behind RCB reaching the playoffs. Last season even though Bengaluru didn't have a top 4 finish, Maxwell had scored 400 runs at a daunting season strike rate of 183.49 along with 5 half-centuries with a best of 77.

However, in IPL 2024, Glenn Maxwell hit the lowest of lows and experienced a season that the RCB fans will be eager to forget. In the initial matches, he was struggling to find form which was justified during the early days. But his poor form persisted throughout the whole season and that was what cost the Bengaluru team eventually.

His failure to score runs as a senior player from the middle-order was a huge let-off for Faf du Plessis' side. Glenn Maxwell scored just 52 runs and his additional stats are not worth mentioning. In perhaps the biggest match of RCB in IPL 2024 against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator, Maxwell had departed for a golden duck.

This pretty much sums up the kind of season Maxwell had. Regardless of his poor form, the 35-year-old was picked in the 15-man Australian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 next month. He also appeared in Australia's 1st warm-up game against Namibia where the Australians registered a dominating 7-wicket victory.

What did Usman Khawaja say about Maxwell's form in IPL?

While speaking to a local Australian outlet, Usman Khawaja claimed that Maxwell's poor form in IPL is absolutely irrelevant, he is an important player of the team and has proved himself a lot of times in the past.

Khawaja added that no cricketer is obliged to perform every single time they go out to play and the same thing happened to Glenn Maxwell as well. The Aussie Test opening batter further stated that Maxwell just needs one knock to get back in form and that it doesn't matter what happened in the past, Maxwell will not and should not change his approach.

"The IPL form is absolutely irrelevant. Maxy’s proven himself time and time again. Any player who’s performed over a long period of time understands that you can’t perform well every time you go out there."

"You take a few risks, particularly if you bat in the middle order, and T20 cricket’s not easy.But (for this tournament) if he gets one good innings, he’s away. It doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past. He’s not going to change his game and nor should he. Just keep going. He’ll find it," Usman Khawaja told West Australia.