Glenn Maxwell names best IPL XI; picks Mohit Sharma as frontline seamer
Maxwell included Mohit Sharma in his Best IPL XI
|Australia’s Glenn Maxwell, in a chat with Harsha Bhogle, picked his Best IPL XI and interestingly chose former Kings XI Punjab teammate Mohit Sharma as one of the three frontline seamers of his side. Maxwell’s side included Kohli, Warner, and ABD, but there was no place for Rohit Sharma.
Glenn Maxwell established himself as one of the most dangerous hitters of the cricket ball in the 2014 edition of the IPL, a season in which his 552-run tally (which came at a strike rate of 187.75) propelled Kings XI Punjab to the final of the tournament. He has, since, failed to replicate the same terror in the following seasons, but after missing the 2019 edition of the IPL, Maxwell was purchased for a staggering sum of Rs 10.75 Crore by his old club KXIP in the auction ahead of IPL 2020. It will be deja vu for Maxwell on multiple fronts as it was in the UAE leg where he absolutely went bonkers in the 2014 edition of the tournament.
And, ahead of the tournament, which is just over a month away, the Aussie superstar sat down with renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle in a Cricbuzz chat show where, in one segment, he picked his ‘Best IPL XI’.
Maxwell’s choices for openers were pretty much straightforward. The all-rounder’s national teammate David Warner, who is the fourth highest run-getter in IPL history, occupied the slot of the first opener while his partner at the other end was none other than Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who is the highest run-getter in the tournament’s history.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s AB de Villiers and Chennai Super Kings’ Suresh Raina, both of who have been MVPs for their respective clubs since day one, occupied the No.3 and No.4 positions in Maxwell’s side while the Victorian all-rounder set aside the No.5 slot for himself. Kolkata Knight Riders superstar Andre Russell occupied the No.6 slot as the side’s only all-rounder while the wicket-keeper’s slot, at No.7, was claimed by none other than CSK skipper MS Dhoni.
Maxwell also picked Harbhajan Singh as his side’s lone spinner but it was the pace department in which one name sprung a surprise. Aside from obviously naming Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah as his side’s seamers, Maxwell took the name of former teammate Mohit Sharma as his Best IPL XI’s third frontline seamer. Maxwell spent two seasons alongside Mohit Sharma in KXIP - 2016 and 2017 - and, ahead of IPL 2020, the former CSK and KXIP seamer was purchased by Delhi Capitals. Maxwell, however, did not name a skipper. Mumbai Indians stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Lasith Malinga, meanwhile, were notable absentees from the Victorian all-rounder's side.
Glenn Maxwell’s Best IPL XI:
David Warner, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Suresh Raina, Glenn Maxwell, Andre Russell, MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Mohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah
