Glenn Maxwell’s IPL 2020 future under clouds after elbow injury

Glenn Maxwell, the Australia all-rounder, has developed an elbow injury that has put his participation in the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) in doubt. The 31-year-old sustained the injury during the latter stages of the BBL and scans showed loose bone fragments in his joint. The Victorian is now set to undergo surgery on his elbow on Thursday in Melbourne.

Maxwell needs six to eight weeks to recover and it means that he could end up missing the first few weeks of the IPL. The T20 league gets underway on March 29 and Maxwell will be plying his trade for the Kings XI Punjab, who brought him for INR 10.5 crore. Maxwell wasn’t a part of the 2019 edition of the IPL as he pulled out of the tournament in a bid to revive his Test career.

Maxwell recently made a comeback for the tour of South Africa after being picked for the ODI and T20I squads. It was the first time he was considered for national selection after he embarked on a break to address his mental health issues. Earlier, Maxwell missed out on the tour of India as well.

Maxwell not confident with his elbow

After missing out on the international series, Maxwell was devastated, but understands the importance of the surgery. “I was not confident that I could perform at international level with my elbow in its current state and have decided to undergo surgery straight away to fix the issue,” Maxwell was quoted as saying in cricket.com.au.

D’Arcy Short has replaced him for the South Africa tour. Maxwell had an impressive time in the BBL, captaining the Melbourne Stars to the final where they lost to the Sydney Sixers in a rain-curtailed game. Though he couldn’t score in the Grand Finale at the SCG, Maxwell managed 398 runs in 17 matches, striking at 148.50 with three half-centuries to his name.

Short, on the other hand, played for the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL and scored a century against the Perth Scorchers. He also picked up a five-wicket haul against the Sydney Thunder. After Maxwell’s injury, Trevor Hohns, the national selector, was disappointed.

“We are disappointed to lose Glenn this close to the tour as we were looking forward to welcoming him back to the national side in both the 20- and 50-over formats after his break during the summer,” Hohns said.