IPL 7: I Go Out to Enjoy Myself, Says Glenn Maxwell

His name is sending shivers of chill across bowling attacks in the Indian Premier League 2014 but Kings XI Punjab batsman Glenn Maxwell cannot care less and said he was having fun, hitting the big shots out of the ground after his brutal 38-ball 90 destroyed Chennai Super Kings in Cuttack. (Match Report | Scorecard | Highlights)

 

Maxwell was dismissed in the 90s for the third time in the tournament but his knock was the bedrock of Kings XI's 231/4 as CSK fell short by 44 runs. The Australian's 135-run partnership with David Miller for the third wicket left Chennai gasping for breath and Maxwell said it was fun sharing the hurricane stand with the South African southpaw. (Maxwell's 90s Jinx)

"I go out to enjoy myself and we (him and Miller) love batting together, we talk about it a lot and it was fun to have a big partnership together and hit a few out of the park," said Maxwell as he collected the Man-of-the-Match award.

Miller had earlier said Kings XI were targeting about 210 but Maxwell seemed to have a different view of the conditions and said he had no idea what a good score would be on that pitch.

"We didn't have an idea in mind and thought the pitch would get better in the second innings but once we went there, we saw how good it was and we just kept going," Maxwell said of his partnership with Miller.

Maxwell, who now has 435 runs and is the leading scorer in IPL 7, did not seem too perturbed by the elusive hundred and insisted he was just happy to be winning games for his side: "It is nice to be on the winning side; all our plans are working as of now and it is good to be on top of the table."

There is more misery in store for bowlers as the tournament progresses for Maxwell revealed how he has been trying to expand his game. The 25-year-old was bought for a hefty price by the Mumbai Indians, who did not use him often enough, and he has also been at the receiving end of some sharp criticism for his indifferent performance for the Australian team.

"I keep practicing the switch-hit and keep trying to expand my game and try and hit the ball to different parts of the ground. I keep trying to do what I'm doing and we're winning as well."

The next team to find out Maxwell's expansion in shot-making will be the Kolkata Knight Riders who take on the hosts in Cuttack on Sunday.