Maxwell's knock took Australia to the win with one ball left
Glenn Maxwell had a terrible run in the T20Is off late, scoring just two 30-plus scores from 19 innings since February last year.
Even though he hit a hundred for Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket (MLC), his lean run with the bat was a concern for Australia as Maxwell scored five single-digit scores from the six matches he played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 for Punjab Kings.
SVL
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BVB
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ROR
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KNK
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TBW
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VSS
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ROR
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AMR
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SKA
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TKR
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ABF
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SLK
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SDS
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PD
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NDT
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NDS
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SDSW
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NDSW
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EDRW
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CDQW
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NOR
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SWE
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SWE
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HUN
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NOR
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HUN
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THCC
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MRSC
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THCC
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KHTC
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MRSC
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KSV
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KHTC
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MTV
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KSV
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MTV
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JZ-W
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LL-W
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JZ-W
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LL-W
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JZ-W
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LL-W
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MID
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YOR
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KENT
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LAN
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SOM
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BB
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NOR
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SUSS
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LEI
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ESS
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GLAM
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NOT
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WOR
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GLO
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SURR
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HAM
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BAN
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IND
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Match Called off
KRMPS
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NCMI
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TCC
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CEC-A
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JJ
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KUMS
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BNC
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GUJCC
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MGD
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BNB
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MYW
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SML
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MYW
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BNB
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GBM
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HBT
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IAI
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MAT
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ROS
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MUT
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YSG
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MAT
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RNC
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IAI
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MAO
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NOS
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BIP
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LOS
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SOB
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OVI
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MOW-W
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NOS-W
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BIP-W
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LSW-W
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SBW-W
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OIW-W
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CHK
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AS-A
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NTS
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HHA
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PSA
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BANA
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NEP
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MS-A
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NTS
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ACOM
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MR-A
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PS
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MEMA
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KASS
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KARS
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GOLS
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NOSK
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LUF
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Against South Africa, however, Maxwell was excellent with the ball and sharp in the field as he claimed the all-important wicket of Ryan Rickleton in the first T20I in Darwin.
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He finally ended his torrid run with the bat with a match and series-winning 62 not out off 36 balls which he finished off with a boundary in the last over.
Australia were chasing 173 and kept losing wickets at one end when Maxwell held firm at one end and guided them to a two-wicket victory.
The series was poised at 1-1 after the first two T20Is in Darwin as both arrived in Cairns which never hosted a T20I.
Dewald Brevis continued his superb form across all formats with brisk 53 off 26 balls as South Africa posted 172/7 in 20 overs with Nathan Ellis (3-31) and Josh Hazlewood (2-30) pulling things back for the hosts at regular intervals.
In chase of a decent total, the Aussies had captain Mitchell Marsh at the top with a solid 54 off 37 balls before Maxwell guided them to victory.
Australia looked set for an easy victory with four wickets in hand needing 10 runs from 10 balls when Cobrin Bosch removed Ben Dwarshius and Nathan Ellis off consecutive balls. Bosch gave away just two runs off the 19th over before Maxwell ended things calmly with a double and two boundaries in the final over.
With four required off the last two balls against Lungi Ngidi, Maxwell played a switch hit that looped over the fielder at gully and hit the ropes.
Maxwell marked the victory by recreating late Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota’s ‘Smash’ celebration.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru had given up on Maxwell in IPL 2025 auction as he was bought by Punjab Kings and played only six matches in the season. His dwindling form led to the Shreyas Iyer-side benching him and eventually replacing him with countryman Mitchell Owen.
