Glenn Maxwell: The Big Show and His Greatest Innings Explained

Glenn Maxwell — The Big Show — is Australian cricket's most spectacular player: a right-handed batter who plays shots that seem physically impossible, an off-spin bowler who takes middle-over wickets in T20 cricket, and a brilliant fielder. His career has oscillated between extraordinary highs and frustrating inconsistency, but in November 2023 he produced the greatest individual batting performance in ODI World Cup history — an innings so improbable that even experienced cricket commentators struggled to describe what they were watching.

The 201 Not Out — The Greatest World Cup Innings

At the 2023 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad, Australia faced Afghanistan needing to chase 292. Seven wickets fell for 91 runs and the match seemed lost. Maxwell came to the crease and began suffering severe cramps in both legs — he could not walk between deliveries and required running partners to help him reach the non-striker's end. Despite this, he began hitting sixes in every direction. He pulled from both sides of the wicket. He switch-hit. He reverse swept. He hit spinner after spinner over the longest boundaries in the stadium while unable to stand properly. He eventually scored 201 not out off 128 balls — his 201 being the highest score in an ODI chase ever at the time, and Australia winning by 3 wickets. It is the greatest individual innings ever played in an ODI World Cup.

The Switch Hit and Unorthodox Shots

Maxwell is one of cricket's most unorthodox batters. He regularly switch-hits — changing his batting stance from right-handed to left-handed mid-delivery — which effectively makes him an ambidextrous hitter who can target both sides of the ground off the same delivery. He also plays from very unusual positions: falling away on the leg side and hitting over extra cover, using the pace of fast bowling to guide sixes behind square, and manufacturing runs off deliveries that most batters would simply block or leave. His creativity in shot selection reflects a mind that sees the cricket field as a place of possibility rather than constraint.

Royal Challengers Bangalore — A Famous IPL Partnership

Glenn Maxwell's most prominent IPL association has been with Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he played alongside Virat Kohli and (previously) AB de Villiers. His performances in IPL — where he has produced some of the highest single-season run totals in competition history — reflect his white-ball brilliance at its best. Maxwell's combination of power-hitting, off-spin bowling, and brilliant catching make him one of the most complete franchise T20 players in the world.

Mental Health — A Public Struggle

In 2019, Glenn Maxwell withdrew from cricket citing mental health struggles — a brave public disclosure that was significant for professional sport generally, not just cricket. He took a break from the game, worked on his wellbeing, and returned stronger — eventually producing his greatest performances in the years following. His willingness to discuss mental health openly in a sport that historically promoted toughness above vulnerability changed conversations about athlete welfare in Australian cricket.

Bowling — The Off-Spin Dimension

Maxwell's bowling is often underrated in discussions of his overall value. He bowls right-arm off-spin at a useful pace and can take wickets in the middle overs of T20 cricket — an area where quality spin bowling is premium. In Australian white-ball teams that rely primarily on pace bowling, Maxwell's ability to provide spin variety is valuable beyond just the runs it saves. His bowling career economy rate across franchise and international cricket reflects genuine quality rather than occasional use.