"Drop Glenn Maxwell" - Aakash Chopra to PBKS ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs KKR

Former India player Aakash Chopra has urged the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to drop Glenn Maxwell from their playing combination ahead of their IPL 2025 clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He noted that the Australian all-rounder is being fielded in the XI for his batting and not for his bowling.

PBKS will host KKR in Match 31 of IPL 2025 in Mullanpur on Tuesday, April 15. The home team suffered an eight-wicket defeat despite setting a massive 246-run target in their previous game against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad on April 12.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener urged PBKS to continue batting aggressively. He also opined that Shreyas Iyer and company should leave Maxwell out of the XI.

"The way Punjab played in the last match, I think there is no reason to actually let up. Just keep playing like this. Keep swinging your bat, whether it's Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh or Marcus Stoinis," Chopra said (8:40).

"I would say drop Glenn Maxwell. You are not playing Glenn Maxwell, the bowler, although he might score runs today since I am asking you to drop him. However, he is not playing as a bowler," he added.

Glenn Maxwell has aggregated 34 runs at a paltry average of 8.50 in four innings in IPL 2025. He has a top score of 30 and has managed only four runs in his other three innings.

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"You are not going to drop him in this match" - Aakash Chopra on PBKS potentially sticking with Glenn Maxwell for IPL 2025 clash vs KKR

Glenn Maxwell has picked up three wickets at an economy rate of 9.54 in 11 overs in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra acknowledged that PBKS might not drop Glenn Maxwell for their IPL 2025 clash against KKR.

"He is bowling well. I understand you get an off-spinner, and you will also have left-handers in the opposition this time. You will get Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock at the top and Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer later. So you are not going to drop him in this match. However, Maxwell sahab, I request you with folded hands to score runs," he reasoned (9:00).

While urging Maxwell to score runs in Tuesday's game, the analyst noted that the spin-bowling all-rounder might find it difficult to do so against the KKR spinners.

"What's the point if you are not going to score runs? They are playing you matches continuously, and Josh Inglis is sitting outside. He is a consistent batter and scores runs. Please score runs this time, although the job will be difficult as Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine will be in front of him, and Moeen Ali might also play," Chopra observed.

While acknowledging that Marcus Stoinis struck four sixes off as many balls in PBKS' previous game against SRH, Aakash Chopra noted that the seam-bowling all-rounder too hasn't done much else with both bat and ball. He also opined that the hosts would feel Lockie Ferguson's absence in their bowling attack, considering the speedster has potentially been ruled out for the remainder of IPL 2025.