"There are times where as a player you need to wake up" - Indian batter's stern message for Glenn Maxwell amid PBKS star's struggles in IPL 2025

Cheteshwar Pujara has warned Punjab Kings' (PBKS) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell that he must wake up before the team is forced to drop him from the playing XI. The Indian batter also observed that the Aussie all-rounder has been slightly casual at times and must pull up his socks ahead of the remainder of the IPL 2025 season.

Maxwell, who was bought for ₹4.20 crore in the auction, has managed only 41 runs in five innings at a woeful 8.20. He was out for a first-ball duck in the season opener. The Victorian has been more than handy with the ball. Hence, it remains to be seen how much the management persists with the veteran based on his returns only as a bowler.

The Saurashtra batter said Maxwell must realise that the team is dependent upon him for runs so they could win the season; hence, he must show the hunger. He said on ESPN Cricinfo's Time Out:

"He hasn't changed the way he has approached the IPL. There have been times where he's been a little casual. He's the same what he was maybe eight-ten years ago. I'm a little critical, but there are times where as a player you need to wake up. You need to realise you're getting an opportunity to play and be part of a franchise where things are at stake. And there are times a player can get casual, they're not worried about what's happening."

"I'm sure he wants to perform but when you're not performing there's a fine line of being causal and just trying to pull up your socks and trying to perform."

The 35-year-old's performance in IPL was equally woeful last year, managing only 52 runs in 10 matches. With the ball, he has picked up four scalps in six matches at 27.50.

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"I don't think Punjab will be patient to stick with him if they were to drop a couple of games" - Sanjay Bangar on Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell. (Image Credits: Getty)

Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar suggested that the veteran must bat the way he did in the last couple of innings. He said that the batter needs to give himself some time in the middle before going for big shots.

"For the first two-three games, we saw a different Maxwell, he was trying to take the bowling on from ball one. In the last two innings, he was happy to spend some time in the middle. Till the time he got out to Varun [Chakravathy's] googly. he was giving himself time, played good cricketing shots. He played a back foot drive past point.

"If he'd started with this approach, the pressure wouldn't have been so much. Now it's this way or that. I don't think Punjab will be patient to stick with him if they were to drop a couple of games, by which time the season would be on the line."

PBKS will face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.