The youngster has played 38 First-class matches till date.
“My grandparents had bought me a full set of gear, and I remember running straight outside with the wicket-keeping gloves on, keeping in the family backyard cricket game all Christmas afternoon!”
Usually, this is how it all starts.
Cut to the present, it is not everyday that a player goes on to score 82 runs off just 23 deliveries. But when one does, you instantly know that they’ve got to be special. Such is the story of New Zealand youngster Max Chu, who is making headlines after his blitzkrieg in the Canada Super 60 League. Playing for the Vancouver Kings, the left-handed batter went berserk in his latest innings, to help Vancouver Kings post 206/4 in just 10 overs.
Apart from being the head boy for his school in 2017, Chu has had a list of achievements to his name. The youngster was named in the New Zealand U19 squad for the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in 2018. To add to that, he also featured in the New Zealand XI side in a 50-over tout match against Bangladesh in February 2019. The 25-year-old has shown a lot of promise since his early days.
Chu plays for Otago in New Zealand’s domestic league back home. His performances in the recent past speak volumes of his ability to thrive under pressure. Chu has also led his domestic team in the absence of their skipper, which shows his leadership traits as well.
Core strength! This might be a very generic answer to speak of, but there is a pattern in Max Chu’s batting which demonstrates how wonderfully he engages his core. Chu uses his core strength to maintain balance at the time of impact, and that is where his stability comes from.
If one tends to focus on the video above, it becomes easy to understand that Max Chu is a package of aggression and innovation – the perfect blend required for a batter to perform in the shortest format of the game. Now when we look back, the fact that he was able to score 82 runs off just 23 deliveries does not come as a surprise. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter can take the attack to the opposition at will.
And it isn’t just limited to the franchise leagues or the shortest format. In just 38 games at the First-class level, Chu has scored 1906 runs with two hundreds and eight fifties. He averages 32.30 in the format, which showcases his consistency. As the number of overs go down, the average drops too. But the strike-rate starts peaking. In the 20-over format, Chu strikes at almost a 147, which is impressive.
Though he bats down the order for his domestic side, the youngster is always open to be flexible and help his team overcome any hurdle. This is the sign of a great player. It is highly probable that Chu would receive the call-up to represent New Zealand anytime soon, but the wicketkeeper-batter says that he is focused on delivering results in the present.
“That [national selection] is not really in my headlights at the moment. I just want to keep playing the best cricket that I can. If I get selected I will and if I don’t, I don’t. My focus at the minute is trying to win games for Otago”, said Max Chu in an interview in February 2025.
ALSO READ:
For a player as versatile as Chu, opportunities would be aplenty. Moreover, age is on his side. With the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions round the corner, the 25-year-old can easily attain a contract from any of the 10 franchises. Teams are always on the lookout for talent, and Max Chu has surely got the potential to thrive in the league.
Franchises that are in need of a wicketkeeper-batter would certainly have their eyes cemented on Chu. With the range of shots which he’s got and the ability to execute them, Max Chu could make any franchise break the bank. He is showcasing his skills on a global stage, and has proven that he has everything in his game to make him successful at the highest level.
To add to that, Max Chu is widely regarded as the best glovesman at the domestic level back home, and a recent report also stated that he has started to score heavily with the bat. These are promising signs for the youngster and the Kiwi management will be watching him from close quarters.
Chu’s coaches and seniors regard his work ethic and the drive to succeed above everything else as a recipe to his success. The wicketkeeper-batter representing Otago loves to keep the game simple and has already understood that the difference between the domestic and international level is how consistently one can execute their skills.
The promising youngster surely looks on his way up the ladder in no time. Can he? Only time will tell. But he has surely impressed the masses with his clean and crisp stroke play.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
