Experienced Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell recently shared insights into his strained relationship with former Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag during the IPL 2017 season, when they were both associated with Kings XI Punjab. Maxwell, a Victorian cricketer, expressed his disappointment with Sehwag's public criticism of him during a post-match press conference, which led to a rift between the two players.
The incident in question occurred during a match between Kings XI Punjab and Rising Pune Supergiants in Pune, where Punjab was bowled out for a mere 73 runs, resulting in a nine-wicket victory for the Steven Smith-led team. Maxwell, who was captaining Punjab at the time, failed to make an impact and was dismissed for a duck in just three deliveries.
In his recently published book, Maxwell recounted the incident where Sehwag, who held the position of director of cricket operations, took over the press conference duties and subsequently removed Maxwell from the team's WhatsApp group.
"I volunteered to do press that night, but Sehwag said he would instead. Upon getting onto the team bus, I found I'd been deleted from the main WhatsApp group. What was going on here? By the time we reached the hotel my phone was blowing up, with Sehwag having unloaded on me as a "big disappointment", blaming me for not taking responsibility as captain, and all the rest. It was unpleasant, especially when I thought we had parted on good terms," Maxwell said.
"I texted him to say how much it hurt to read those comments and added that he had lost a fan in me for the way he had conducted himself. Sehwag's response was simple: "Don't need fan like you." We never spoke again."
Maxwell's tenure with Punjab Kings came to an abrupt end following a fallout with the franchise owners. He made it clear that he would not continue with the team if Sehwag remained in his position. After one more season, Maxwell parted ways with the team.
In 2020, Maxwell returned to Punjab Kings, two years after Sehwag's departure. However, the reunion did not unfold as anticipated. Since 2021, Maxwell has been a key player for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he continues to excel in the IPL.
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