Glenn Maxwell has equaled David Warner’s record of 12 Player-of-the-Match awards for Australia in T20 internationals, after a decisive display on home turf in Cairns that sealed the series against South Africa.
The victory-clinching knock was a blistering, unbeaten 62 from 36 deliveries, peppered with eight boundaries and two over the rope, which carried Australia past South Africa’s 172-run target with the final ball remaining.
Maxwell’s innings was framed in the calm of a chase that ebbed before his decisive acceleration, landing him the accolade that now matches Warner’s long-held feat.
Maxwell’s career continues to build on precedent. In 124 T20 internationals, he has compiled 2,833 runs with an average of 29.51 and a strike rate of 156. The ledger includes five hundreds and 12 half-centuries.
As an off-spinner, he has also taken 49 wickets at an average of 30.04. Warner, having stepped away from the T20 international arena earlier this year, remains Australia’s overall run-accumulator in the format with 3,277 runs from 110 innings at an average of 33.43 and strike rate of 142.47, one hundred and 28 fifties marking his span.
The opener’s role in establishing tempo and momentum at the top of Australia’s batting order proved integral to the nation’s sustained T20 success over a decisive decade.
Shane Watson remains the only Australian cricketer within striking distance of this particular benchmark. Over the course of 58 T20Is, the former all-rounder was named Player of the Match on nine occasions, amassing 1,462 runs at a strike rate of 145.32 while also taking 48 wickets with his capable medium-pace bowling.
The recent chase in Cairns may not materially shift the global perception of Glenn Maxwell, yet matching David Warner’s tally of 10 awards provides fresh, quantifiable evidence of his enduring impact on the format.
Observers may now speculate how many additional accolades Maxwell might accrue before an inevitable decline in opportunities and athleticism.
