RCB Retention Made me Calm: Glenn Maxwell

image-lezgv0xfMaxwell has played two seasons for RCB [Twitter]

The past few months have been turbulent for Glenn Maxwell. He suffered a 'freakish' leg injury in a birthday party and broke his leg in the process. It took months of rehabilitation for Maxwell to get back into cricket.

As a result of his leg injury, there were questions marks that Maxwell won't be retained by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the upcoming IPL 2023 season, but Maxwell stated that a call from Mike Hesson, Director of Cricket Operations at the franchise calmed him a bit.

Speaking to the RCB Podcast season 2, Maxwell said:

"You never know what's gonna happen because it's a big auction. And like, with how many people they were going to retain and we had, obviously, a couple of bowlers - Siraj, Harshal, Yuzi (Chahal), then AB, Virat, and those young Indian players, and all could have been retained at some stage. 

So to retain an overseas batter sometimes isn't the smartest move. It seems straightforward, but in my head, there was obviously a lot more I had to go through and when I got the phone call that I was gonna be retained. I was pumped and couldn't wait to stick around," Maxwell said.

RCB bought Maxwell ahead of the 2021 IPL season, and he made an instant impact, scoring 513 runs from 15 matches. In the next season, he scored 301 runs in 13 matches, with a strike-rate of 169.

The Aussie all-rounder also talked about the influence that the late Shane Warne had on his career. In the podcast, Maxwell said that Warne helped him to recover from a tough phase during his career.

"I suppose, post cricket hours, I was so lucky to be able to play some golf with him, chat to him off the field, talk to him on the phone. He cared a lot. Once he saw me before one of the Big Bash games, just walking around. 

We had a small chat and I sort of...I wouldn't say I brushed him but I sort of just walked away. He messaged me afterwards: 'Are you alright?' And he checked in a couple of times. And then the fourth time I finally opened up. And so I said, this is what's going on. He goes, mate, just take it easy, take a break, do whatever you need to do. I'm always here for you," Maxwell stated.

Maxwell is on a road to recovery and will be hoping that he takes a part in the ODI series, scheduled to take place between India and Australia, later this month.