A right handedall-rounder who is known for his sometimes unorthodox batting, Maxwell originally bowledmedium-pace before switching to off-spin at a young age. He rose to prominence in 2011 after setting an at-the-time record for the fastesthalf-century inAustralian domestic one day cricket—scoring 51 runs from 19 balls. The record led to his international debut, playing an ODI againstAfghanistan in 2012, before making his T20I debut a month lateragainst Pakistan and his Test debut againstIndia the year after. As of 2025[update], he has played 7 Test matches, 149 ODIs and 126 T20I matches, the latter being the most of any Australian player.[3]
Known for his dramatic shot making and improvisation in short forms of the game,[4] Maxwell was part of the Australian squads that won the2015 Cricket World Cup, the2021 T20 World Cup, and the2023 Cricket World Cup. His ability to make unconventional shots like reverse sweeps and pulls often makes it hard to set fields that cover all of his scoring areas.[5][6]
Maxwell was born inKew, Melbourne, and played junior cricket for South Belgrave Cricket Club. He initially played as amedium-pace bowler, before moving to bowloff spin.[7][8]
Maxwell married his long-time girlfriend Vini Raman in March 2022.[9][10][11] The couple have a son born in September 2023.[12]
Maxwell joined theVictorian squad in 2009–10 following an injury toAndrew McDonald in November.[16][17] He made his senior debut for the one-day team in February 2010 and was selected to play for the Australian Institute of Sports in the 2010 Emerging Players Tournament. He scored 69 against India in the final.[18]
Maxwell attracted national attention in February 2011 after scoring a match winning 51 from 19 balls in a Ryobi Cup game against Tasmania, the fastest half-century in Australian domestic one-day history,[19] and made hisfirst-class debut for Victoria againstNew South Wales later in the month, taking two wickets and scoring 38 runs on debut. The following month he scored his debut first-class century, making 103 runs againstSouth Australia.[20] In the 2011 Emerging Players Tournament, Maxwell scored 59 from 23 balls against India[21] and 110 from 52 balls against South Africa.[22]
Maxwell attempted to transfer to New South Wales ahead of the 2016–17 summer but was refused permission and was dropped from the Victorian team for the first match of the Sheffield Shield season.[24] Maxwell was picked in the next Shield game and scored 81.
Maxwell has played in Twenty20 cricket franchises leagues in Australia, India and England. In the domesticBig Bash League he played forMelbourne Renegades in 2012–13 and has since played forMelbourne Stars. During the 2021–22 season he scored 154not out against Hobart Hurricanes, breaking the record for the highest individual score in the league and leading his team to the highest team total in league history.[27]
In India he played forDelhi Daredevils in 2012 before being bought in the2013 IPL auction byMumbai Indians, becoming the most expensive purchase at the auction, commanding a price of US$1 million.[28] In 2014 he was bought byKings XI Punjab, making scores of 95, 89, 95 and 90 runs during the season. In 16 games he had the season's third highest aggregate of runs scored with 552 runs at anaverage of 34.50 runs per innings[29] and was retained by the team for the following two seasons.[30] He returned to play for Delhi ahead of the 2018 season[31] He again had a poor season, scoring 142 runs at an average of 14 and not passing 50 once.[32] before being the subject of a bidding war between Delhi and Punjab ahead of the 2020 season, eventually being bought by Punjab. In 2021, he was bought byRoyal Challengers Bangalore after another bidding war, this time with theChennai Super Kings,[33] and finished the season as the team's highest scorer, with 513 runs.[34] He was retained by the team for the2022 season.[35]
Maxwell was selected for Australia'sseries against Pakistan in the UAE in 2012, with head selectorJohn Inverarity saying that he was "a versatile and lively off-spinning allrounder and brilliant fieldsman" who "will provide another spin bowler option on the slow, low, turning wickets" expected in the country.[37][38] He made his debutagainst Afghanistan in the one-offOne Day International (ODI) which took place ahead of the matches against Pakistan,[39] before going on to play in five of Australia's six fixtures against the Pakistanis. Scores of 38, 28 and 56not out in the three ODIs on the tour,[40][41][42][43] saw him selected for two of the threeTwenty20 International (T20I) matches, scoring four on T20I debut and 27 from 20 balls in the final match of the tour; he also took his first international wicket.[44][45]
The same squad of players was selected for the2012 ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka which followed Australia's matches in the UAE.[46][47] He played in all five of Australia's group stage matches, taking a single wicket and scoring only eight runs in the two innings in which he batted, but was dropped from the team for the semi-final againstWest Indies.[48][49][50][51][52] Following the competition, Maxwell played forAustralia A and for the Cricket Australia Chairman's XI against Sri Lanka,[53] Maxwell scored 64 and took 2/70.[54][55] before being called into the Australian squad for the thirdTest against thetouring Sri Lankans at the end of the year, replacingShane Watson.[56][57] He did not play in the Test, but was brought back into the team for three of the five ODIs and both of the T20Is played in January. He was involved in a controversy in the final T20I of the series, after becoming involved in a verbal altercation with opposition players after failing to hit the last ball for four.[58]
After scoring 51 not out from 35 balls opening the batting againstWest Indies in thefirst ODI of in February,[59] Maxwell took four wickets in the second match of the series.[60] He was subsequently selected forAustralia's Test tour of India later in the month as an all-rounder.[61][62][63] He made his Test debut against India in the second Test at Hyderabad as the team's second spinner, supportingXavier Doherty with established lead spin bowlerNathan Lyon dropped. He scored 13 and 8 runs in the first and second innings respectively, but took 4/127 with the ball.[64] He was dropped from the team for the third Test as Australia opted for more specialist bowlers,[65] but brought back for the fourth and final Test in Delhi, replacing injured batsmanMichael Clarke. He scored 10 and 8 runs.[66]
Later in 2013, Maxwell played in the2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England,[67][68] but was not selected for the2013 Ashes which followed the competition. He went to South Africa with Australia A, making a first-class century againstSouth Africa A and a limited overs century againstIndia A in a tri-series.[69][17][70]
By now an established member of Australia's one-day teams, Maxwell returned to India in October as part of an Australian limited overstour of India and playedagainst England later in the year. He was named in Australia's 15-man squad for2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, scoring 74 runs from 33 balls againstPakistan in Australia's first match of the competition.[71] He finished the tournament as Australia's second highest run scorer, making 147 runs.
Maxwell made a return to the Test team in October 2014against Pakistan in the UAE, playing in the second match of the two-match series. He scored 37 in the first innings and four in the second and was wicket-less; he performed better during the one-day matches.
Maxwell was selected in Australia's 15-man squad for theODI World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in early 2015.[72] He scored 95 runs and took four wickets against England in final of thewarm-up triangular series in early February and began the tournament well, making scores of 66 from 40 balls in the first match against England,[73] and 88 from 39 balls against Afghanistan.[74] Later in the tournament, he scored his maiden international century, scoring 102 against Sri Lanka at theSydney Cricket Ground. He brought up his century in 51 balls, at the time recording the fastest century by an Australian man in an ODI and the second-fastest in World Cup history.[75][76]
In the quarter-final against Pakistan, Maxwell took two wickets and scored 44 runs,[77] before scoring 23 against India in the semi-final.[78] He did not bat in the final against New Zealand but took a wicket as Australia won their fifth World Cup title.[79][80] Maxwell ended the tournament as Australia's third highest run scorer, scoring 324 runs at abatting average of 64.80 runs per innings.
Maxwell continued to be a fixture in Australia's one-day teams following the World Cup. He was named asCricket Australia's men's T20I Player of 2015 at theAllan Border Medal ceremony[81] and played regularly throughout 2015 and the first half of 2016. He was not included in either the Test and ODI teams forAustralia's tour of Sri Lanka in 2016, but was in the team for the T20I series. In early September he scored an unbeaten 145 from 65 deliveries opening the batting atKandy, at the time the second-highest individual score in men's Twenty20 Internationals.[82][83][84] Maxwell returned to the ODI team at the beginning of 2017 for the seriesagainst Pakistan, making scores of 60 in first ODI[17] and 78 in the fourth match.[85] He was named as Cricket Australia's men's ODI Player of 2016.[81]
In February 2017, Maxwell was selected for Australia's squad for theTest tour of India. He played in the opening tour game against India A but did not make the team for the first two Tests, withMitchell Marsh preferred as the team's all-rounder. An injury to Marsh saw Maxwell return to the team in the third Test of the series, scoring his maiden Test century.[86] His score of 104 runs[87] meant that be became the second Australian man to score a century in all three international formats.[88][89] He scored 8 and 45 in the fourth Test. In 2018 he was indirectly accused by anAl Jazeera documentary of being a suspect in a set of spot-fixing allegations surrounding the third Test.[90] He denied all of the allegations levelled against him.[91][92]
After playing in Australia's team in the2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales in June, Maxwell was selected again in the Test squad for Australia'stour of Bangladesh in August and September.[93] He played in both Tests during the series, preferred as a spin bowling option in south-Asian conditions.[94][95] After struggling on Australia'sODI tour of India later in September, he was dropped from the team during the tour and lost his place in the Test team for the2017–18 Ashes series. He was called into the squad as cover after before the first Test following injuries toShaun Marsh andDavid Warner the day before the game[96][97] but did not play. Despite scoring 278 for Victoria against New South Wales[98] and 98 against Western Australia,[99] Maxwell did not play in the series, andMitchell Marsh scored two centuries, cementing his role as the team's all-rounder. He was not selected for the one-day team against England, withChris Lynn replacing him. When Lynn was injured the selectors calledCameron White into the team rather than Maxwell, with Australian coachDarren Lehmann confirming that Maxwell had not be selected due to his lack of runs rather than concerns around his attitude to international cricket.[100]
Australia's captain Steve Smith suggested at a press conference that Maxwell could "train smarter", commenting that although he was an explosive one-day player than he should aim for more consistency in his game,[101] a view echoed by head selectorTrevor Hohns.[102][103] He was called into the squad for the final two matches following an injury toAaron Finch, playing in the final match of the series scoring 34 runs.[104]
Maxwell batting againstNew Zealand in February 2018 during the Tri-Series.
Maxwell returned to Australia's squad for the2017–18 Trans-Tasman Tri-Series involving New Zealand and England in early 2018.[105] In the first T20I of the series, he scored 40 from 24 balls against New Zealand,[106] before making a century against England in the second match, making 103 runs from 58 balls.[107][108] He also took three wickets in the match.
In March, Maxwell was briefly recalled to the Australian Test squad following the suspensions of Smith, Warner andCameron Bancroft for ball tampering during theAustralian 2018 Tour of South Africa, but did not play in the final Test of the series. The following month he was awarded a national contract for the 2018–19 season[109][110] and played during theODI tour of England, scoring 112 runs at an average of 37.33,[111] and in the team's tours throughout 2018 and into 2019.
Despite being omitted from the Test squad to play Pakistan in October 2018,[112] Maxwell had re-established himself in the one-day team. He scored his third T20I century during thetour of India in early 2019, making 113 not out and becoming the first Australian man to score three T20I centuries. He was again named as Cricket Australia's men's T20I player of the year for 2019.
He returned later in the domestic season andtoured England in 2020 during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[118][119][120][121] In the ODI series, Maxwell impressed with the bat, scoring 186 runs at an average of 62, including a score of 108 in the final ODI. He was named player of the series. His form continued into the Australian summer whenIndia toured Australia, but he was not selected for the Test team. He did, however, play in Australia's squad in the2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup,[122]
He was named in the Australian fifteen man squad for the2023 Cricket World Cup. During the competition, Maxwell scored scored 106 runs from 44 balls to achieve the fastest century inCricket World Cup history and fourth fastest century in ODIs againstNetherlands in October.[123][124]
Maxwell set a plethora of records during his knock of 201* against Afghanistan in agroup stage match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup on 7 November.[125] He was hailed by fans and critics who insisted that he played out of his skin to help Australia register an unlikely victory after being put on the back foot by Afghanistan early on in the Australian batting innings.[126] His ODI innings was also hailed by many as the "greatest ever innings in the history of ODI cricket”.[127][128][129][130][131]
Maxwell suffered cramps and injury concerns over the course of his knock.[132][133] He was unable to run during the latter half of his innings and hence developed a strategy with captainPat Cummins, with whom he was out in the middle, to hit one or two boundaries at the beginning of each over before walking a comfortable one and allowing Cummins to soak up the remaining deliveries the over.[134][135][136] His double century propelled Australia to a semi-final spot with one game still remaining for Australia in the World Cup.[137][138] Throughout his knock, Maxwell was given several lifelines, first when he faced a hat-trick ball fromAzmatullah Omarzai as his first delivery. The delivery seamed in towards off-stump, but a small edge ensured that he was not out LBW or bowled, nor did it carry through to the keeper.[139] He was later also dropped on 33 byMujeeb Ur Rahman at short fine leg.[140][141][142]
His monumental knock of 201* which consisted of 21 fours and 10 sixes is also the highest individual score by an Australian in an ODI match surpassing the previous best byShane Watson who made 185* against Bangladesh in 2011.[143] He also became the second fastest ever to score a double century in ODI cricket behindIshan Kishan, as he completed the double hundred with a winning six to seal the deal for Australia facing 128 deliveries.[144][145] He also scored the fastest ever World Cup double century. He became the first batsman to score a double century in an ODI run chase and broke Shane Watson's record for the highest individual score in a successful run chase in ODI cricket.[146] He also surpassedFakhar Zaman's record for the highest ever individual score by a batsman in the second innings of an ODI match.[147] He also became only the third double centurion in the history of World Cups afterChris Gayle andMartin Guptill.[148] Maxwell was also the first batsman to score a World Cup double century while batting second and also registered the highest individual score by an Australian in a World Cup match.[149][150] He also became the first ever batsman to score a double century in ODI history while batting at number 6 or lower down the order which also eventually brokeKapil Dev's record of 175* for the highest individual score in ODI history while batting at no. 6 position or lower.[151][152] His innings of 201* came in a run chase which was lesser than target of 300 and it was the first such instance where a batsman made a score of 200 or more in an ODI innings where the target was set less than 300 to chase. He also became the first ever middle order batsman as well as non-opener to score a double century in Cricket World Cup history.[153][154]
Alongside the team captain,Pat Cummins, he shattered the previous record held by Zimbabwean pair,Dave Houghton andIain Butchart, for one of the highest ever eighth wicket partnership in the history of Cricket World Cups in the match against Afghanistan. Maxwell andCummins shared an unbeaten stand of 202, out of which Maxwell was the chief contributor with 179 runs (201* total); Cummins contributed 12 runs. Maxwell andCummins batted together at a time when the team was reeling at a precarious position when they lost 7 wickets for just 91 runs, with 201 still needed to chase the target of 292 runs.[155][156] Maxwell's achievements and records in the match drew praise from cricket legends, includingSachin Tendulkar, who described Maxwell's innings as "the best ODI knock I've seen in my life."[157]
Cummins, who scored 12 whilst Maxwell scored 201, joked "A lot of credit should go to Maxi, he played his role beautifully."[158] Maxwell eventually ended the World Cup tournament on a high note, by scoring 400 runs in the whole tournament at an average of 66 striking at 150 while also picking up 6 wickets at a decent economy rate of 4.81 and played a pivotal role in Australia's sixth World Cup title.
After helping Australia win their record-breaking sixth World Cup, he continued his T20I success into 2024 by scoring his fourth and fifth centuries in his 100th and 102nd T20I appearance.[159][160][161] In the third match of the Australia vs India series in November 2023, he scored an unbeaten 104 runs off 48 deliveries to lead Australia to a victory total of 223.[162] He hit eight fours and eight sixes, including 18 runs off the last over to secure the win.[163][164]
He became the second player in men's T20I cricket, afterRohit Sharma, to score four centuries and set the record for the most T20I centuries by an Australian.[165] He achieved this in his 92nd batting innings, making him the fastest player to reach four T20I centuries.[166] He also tied the record for the fastest century by an Australian batsman in a T20I, reaching it in 47 balls.[167] Additionally, he holds the record for the most centuries scored while chasing in T20I history, with three out of four centuries in pressure situations.[168]On 11 February 2024, against West Indies in his 94th innings, he scored his 5th T20I century with a 120 not out off 55 balls, again equalling Rohit Sharma for the record of most T20I centuries in a career.[169][170]
On 2 June 2025, Maxwell announced his retirement from One Day Internationals,[172] after 149 matches over 13 years, including 2 World Cup victories.[173] He scored 3,990 runs and picked 77 wickets from his 149 ODI games.[174][175]
On 2 December 2025, Maxwell withdrew from theIndian Premier League 2026 auction, announcing his decision through a statement on his Instagram account.[176]
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