The IPL world has suffered a major shock as Glenn Maxwell suddenly did not find any team in the world’s best T20 league despite being one of the most explosive all-rounders in the league. Punjab Kings (PBKS) decided to release Glenn Maxwell ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, raising serious doubts over whether he will even feature in the next season of the tournament.
Maxwell was one of the five players shown out by PBKS along with Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen and Praveen Dubey. But Maxwell’s release has generated massive buzz, especially given how poor the Australian all-rounder had last season.
Glenn Maxwell released by Punjab Kings after horror season
In IPL 2025, Maxwell scored only 48 runs in six innings at an average of just eight, while taking four wickets at an economy rate of 8.46 for PBKS.
Following the retention, Aakash Chopra has added fuel to the fire by suggesting that Maxwell will not find any takers in the IPL 2026 auction. He also hinted that the all-rounder may not put his name in the auction list.
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“They have said they will let Maxwell go. Maxwell was for ₹4.20 crore. He was replaced by Mitchell Owen. Mitchell Owen was retained and Maxwell was let go. Is this the end of an era? Why am I saying this is an era? He has earned ₹101 crore from the IPL,” Aakash Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Glenn Maxwell may not even put his name in the auction: Aakash Chopra
Cricket pundits said that they would not be surprised if this marks the end of Maxwell’s long IPL journey. Despite earning over ₹100 crore throughout his IPL career, the Australian all-rounder’s form has declined rapidly, and PBKS has chosen Mitchell Owen in his place, leading to speculation that teams may no longer see him as a match-winning option.
The former Indian batsman further explained, “I am not bothered about anyone’s money. I want them to earn ₹100 crore in a season. Players should get that kind of money because it is a multi-billion dollar league. It is possible that someone may be interested, and it is also possible that someone may not be interested. He may put his name, or he may not even put his name. So it is going to be interesting.”
Aakash Chopra shocked by PBKS’ release of Josh Inglis
Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra has expressed his surprise at Punjab Kings’ surprise move of releasing Josh Inglis. However, the franchise took the decision after head coach Ricky Ponting confirmed that Inglis would not play the entire season.
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Since the PBKS team now has only a few holes to fill, the commentator believes that they will need a reliable middle-order batsman, and someone like Cooper Connolly could be an option. He also suggested that PBKS could look for a backup fast bowler and an Indian backup spinner.
With Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson and Marco Johnson already in the squad, Chopra felt that PBKS’ core looks strong, and the franchise still has enough money to strengthen the remaining areas without major changes for the upcoming IPL 2026.
Notably, Punjab Kings will enter the IPL 2026 auction with ₹11.50 crore left in their purse. With 21 players already in the squad, PBKS can only add four more, and only two of them can be overseas players, so they will be aiming to make some impactful signings.
