Glenn Maxwell Fails to Spoil Kolkata Knight Riders' Party

His blitzkrieg batting set the Indian Premier League 2014 on fire. And yet when his team most needed Glenn Maxwell to fire, the Australian hero failed. Against Kolkata Knight Riders in the first qualifier on Wednesday, Maxwell - the second highest scorer in IPL 7 with 539 runs - managed only six runs.

Set a target of 164, Kings XI Punjab were under some pressure after losing two wickets inside six overs. With rain threatening to return to Eden Gardens, Maxwell walked in - promising to bring his own thunder to the middle. Instead, the man with four massive fifties in the tournament could only manage a single boundary before falling to Umesh Yadav. (Scorecard)

In what looked like a casual stroll across the wicket to flick the ball on the leg-side, Maxwell paid a heavy price for a mistimed shot in the eighth over. Umesh angled the ball towards the leg-stump and Maxwell hoped to paddle it - leaving his leg stump completely exposed. The ball missed the bat and struck him on his pads leaving the umpire in absolutely no doubt.

Such was the value of his wicket that Maxwell's dismissal sent Kolkata Knight Riders' fielders into jubilant celebrations - one that was only matched by the vociferous fans in the stands. It was a carnival and Maxwell had failed to gate-crash the party this one time.