Representative image. Storm machine, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
Australia lose one of the few batters who could turn a T20 match in a handful of overs, and the selectors have now openly moved to younger players. For Indian fans, it closes a career whose best moments came at the Wankhede and in Ahmedabad, and it leaves his franchise T20 plans as the only way to see him play.
Glenn Maxwell retires from international cricket after 286 matches for Australia, ending a 14-year career that included two 50-over World Cup titles, the second of them won in India in 2023. The 38-year-old all-rounder made the announcement on The Final Word podcast, in an episode released on Tuesday, 3 November 2026 in Australia, which was late on 2 November in India.
He is also giving up 50-over and four-day cricket for his state side, Victoria. He will keep playing franchise Twenty20 cricket, including for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League (BBL), Australia’s main T20 league, ABC News, Australia’s public broadcaster, reported.
Why Glenn Maxwell retires now, at 38
Glenn Maxwell had already stepped away from one-day internationals (ODIs) in June 2025. His last ODI was the Champions Trophy semi-final against India in Dubai, according to Hindustan Times. That left only T20 internationals, and his place there had been slipping.
He last played for Australia against Oman at the T20 World Cup in February 2026, where Australia went out in the group stage. Hindustan Times reported that Cricket Australia had left him off its central contract list for 2026-27 in April, and that he was not picked for the T20 series in Bangladesh.
The final signal came on Monday, when Australia named its squad for the five-match T20 series against England without him. Maxwell said on the podcast that he had quietly hoped for a farewell match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, his home ground, but that he understood why the selectors were looking at younger players, the Reuters report carried by Deccan Herald and Times of India said.
He also said his talks with the team management had been open and that there had been no pressure on him. With the 2028 Olympics coming, he said the selectors needed to see young players under international pressure, the Indian news channel WION reported. He added that he wanted to spend more time looking after his body so he could get through the few tournaments left in his career.
Glenn Maxwell’s career in numbers
The ICC’s figures give the shape of the Glenn Maxwell career: 149 ODIs, 130 T20 internationals and only seven Tests, the last of them in 2017. Hindustan Times put his total at 7,226 international runs and 136 wickets.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Strike rate | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI | 149 | 3,990 | 126.7 | 77* |
| T20I | 130 | 2,897 | 154.42 | 51 |
| Test | 7 | not given | not given | 8* |
| Total | 286 | 7,226 | 136 |
The T20 numbers are where he stood out. ABC News reported a batting average of 28.97 in T20Is alongside the strike rate of 154.42, with 62 catches and a best score of 145 not out against Sri Lanka in 2016. He made five T20I hundreds, which Hindustan Times, WION and Reuters all reported as the joint-most by any player, level with India’s Rohit Sharma.
In all, the ICC counts ten international hundreds. He won the 50-over World Cup in 2015 and 2023 and the T20 World Cup in 2021.
His biggest days came in India
For Indian fans, the Glenn Maxwell retirement closes a career tied to grounds they know. Three moments stand out in the reports read:
- 2023 World Cup, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai: chasing 292 against Afghanistan, Australia were 91 for 7. Maxwell made 201 not out off 128 balls, with 21 fours and 10 sixes, much of it while struggling with cramps, Hindustan Times recalled. He and captain Pat Cummins added an unbroken 202 for the eighth wicket, and Australia won with three wickets and 19 balls left.
- 2023 World Cup final, Ahmedabad: he hit the winning runs against India, WION noted.
- 2025 Champions Trophy, Dubai: his last ODI was the Champions Trophy semi-final against India.
His last tournament for Australia, the 2026 T20 World Cup, was also played in India and Sri Lanka.
What Maxwell’s retirement means for the IPL and BBL
The Maxwell retirement follows a common path for senior white-ball players: leave national duty and state cricket, and keep playing the T20 leagues. WION reported that he has renewed his Melbourne Stars contract until the 2027/28 BBL season. In September he played for the Belfast Wolves in the first European T20 Premier League, Hindustan Times reported.
None of the five reports read said anything about Glenn Maxwell’s Indian Premier League (IPL) plans. IPL teams have until 17 November to submit their retention lists for 2027, a deadline NewsPlainly covered earlier, so whether a franchise keeps him should become clear then. Any IPL move would have to come from him or a team; no such statement appeared in the material checked.
Glenn Maxwell said he was grateful to have played so much for his country, and that he hoped his style would encourage children to play their own way and not be afraid to be themselves, ABC News reported.
Frequently asked questions
Has Glenn Maxwell retired from all cricket?
No. He has retired from international cricket and from 50-over and four-day cricket for Victoria, but will keep playing franchise T20 leagues, including the BBL for Melbourne Stars.
How many T20I hundreds did Glenn Maxwell score?
Five, the joint-most by any player, level with India's Rohit Sharma, according to Hindustan Times, WION and Reuters.
When was Glenn Maxwell's last match for Australia?
Against Oman at the T20 World Cup in February 2026. His last ODI was the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final against India in Dubai.
Will Glenn Maxwell play IPL 2027?
The reports read did not say. IPL teams must name their retained players by 17 November.