Glenn Maxwell has retired from international cricket at 38, also ending his first-class and List A careers while remaining available for Melbourne Stars in the BBL. His Australia record is defined by high-impact innings in must-win games. This analysis reviews six of his most influential knocks through strike rates, milestones and historical context.
Career Context: A Specialist for Big Occasions
Maxwell is a three-time World Cup winner, part of Australia's 2015 and 2023 ODI World Cup sides and the 2021 T20 World Cup team. He was overlooked for Australia's T20 squad to face England this month, so he did not get a farewell appearance.
He is also one of only six Australians to score a century in all three formats, despite playing just seven Tests. The table below compares the six innings reviewed here.
| Innings | Format | Opponent | Balls Faced | Strike Rate | Year |
|---|
| 201* | ODI | Afghanistan | 128 | 157.03 | 2023 |
| 145* | T20I | Sri Lanka | 65 | 223.08 | 2016 |
| 104 | Test | India | 185 | 56.22 | 2017 |
| 102 | ODI | Sri Lanka | Century in 51 | 200.00 at century | 2015 |
| Century | ODI | Netherlands | Century in 40 | 250.00 at century | 2023 |
| 120* | T20I | West Indies | 55 | 218.18 | 2024 |
The Afghanistan Chase: The Benchmark Innings
Context in Numbers
Australia were 91 for 7 chasing 292 in a must-win match at the 2023 ODI World Cup. Maxwell was unbeaten on 22 when captain Pat Cummins joined him.
Cramps left him barely able to walk and he needed treatment to continue. He still finished on 201 not out from 128 balls, a strike rate of 157.03.
Boundary Dependence
Maxwell hit 21 fours and 10 sixes, which account for 144 of his 201 runs. That is roughly 71.6 percent of the total from boundaries alone.
The innings carried Australia into the semi-finals and is arguably the greatest ODI knock of all time.
T20I Power Hitting: Pallekele and Adelaide
Pallekele, 2016: Opening for the First Time
Maxwell opened a T20I for the first time in September 2016, replacing the injured Aaron Finch. He reached fifty in 27 balls and needed only 22 more deliveries for his maiden T20I hundred. He carried his bat for 145 not out from 65 balls.
He hit nine sixes and 14 fours, so about 75.9 percent of his runs (110 of 145) came in boundaries. Australia's 263 for 3 surpassed Sri Lanka's record T20I score against Kenya and equalled the then-highest total in the format.
Adelaide, 2024: Joint Record Fifth Century
Against West Indies, Maxwell reached fifty in 25 balls and a century in 50. He finished unbeaten on 120 from 55 balls, a strike rate of 218.18, with eight sixes contributing 48 runs.
It was his fifth T20I century, a record he shares with Rohit Sharma for the most among men's batters. It was also his last hundred for Australia.
World Cup Hundreds: SCG 2015 and Delhi 2023
SCG, 2015: A Maiden International Century
Maxwell scored 102 against Sri Lanka, with his century coming in 51 balls. That was then the quickest by an Australian in men's ODIs and the second-fastest in World Cup history. He hit 10 fours and four sixes, so about 62.7 percent of his runs came in boundaries.
It came in a must-win match, a pattern that recurred in his career. Australia went on to win the tournament.
Delhi, 2023: The Fastest World Cup Hundred
Against the Netherlands, Maxwell reached a 40-ball century, the quickest at a men's Cricket World Cup and the fastest by an Australian in all ODIs. That is 11 balls fewer than his 2015 hundred, or about 21.6 percent faster.
He faced his first ball midway through the 41st over and was on 75 by the end of the 48th. He then hit 4, 4, 6, 6 off the first four balls of a Bas de Leede over, and reached three figures with a hook over fine leg from a no-ball full toss.
The Ranchi Test: A Rare Red-Ball Century
Maxwell waited until his 56th delivery for a first boundary against India in 2017. He then scored 104 from 185 balls, a strike rate of 56.22, which was his only Test hundred.
He played just three more Tests after that, so his red-ball potential remained largely untapped. His counterattacking approach was arguably ahead of its time.
Legacy: What the Data Shows
The six innings show a consistent profile: high boundary dependence, strike rates well above 150 in white-ball formats, and a tendency to deliver in must-win games. The table below summarises key records tied to these innings.
| Record or Milestone | Detail |
|---|
| Fastest men's Cricket World Cup century | 40 balls v Netherlands, 2023 |
| Fastest ODI century by an Australian | 40 balls v Netherlands, 2023 |
| T20I centuries | Five, joint record with Rohit Sharma |
| Centuries in all three formats | One of six Australians |
| Tests played | Seven, with one century |
Maxwell's legacy is tempered by a sense that he remained an unfulfilled talent, particularly in Tests. Even so, his best innings were decisive in tournaments Australia went on to win.