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Xtra Time Web Desk: In a surprising turn of events, Royal Challengers Bangalore's and Australian cricket sensation Glenn Maxwell has decided to take an indefinite hiatus from the ongoing IPL 2024. The announcement came after Maxwell cited mounting mental and physical exhaustion as the primary reasons behind his decision. The star all-rounder conveyed his choice to RCB captain Faf du Plessis and the coaching staff following their recent match, expressing a need for a respite from the demanding tournament.

"For me, personally, it was a pretty easy decision. I went to Faf [du Plessis] and the coaches after the last game and said I felt it was probably time we tried someone else. I have been in this situation in the past where you can keep playing and get yourself deeper into a hole. I think now is actually a good time for me to give myself a bit of a mental and physical break, get my body right. If I'm required to get in during the tournament, I can hopefully get back into a really solid mental and physical space where I can still have an impact," Maxwell said in the post-match press conference.

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We have had a pretty big deficiency straight after the powerplay, which has been my area of strength over the last couple of seasons. I felt like I wasn't contributing in a positive way with the bat, and with the results and the position we find ourselves on the table, I think it's a good time to give someone else an opportunity to show their wares, and hopefully, someone can make that spot their own," concluded.

Maxwell's poor form in IPL 2024:

Maxwell's struggles in IPL 2024 were evident from the outset, with a string of underwhelming performances tarnishing his season. From a golden duck against Chennai Super Kings to single-digit scores against Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals, Maxwell's batting woes were apparent. Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on Maxwell's struggles, suggesting a potential mismatch between his batting style and the challenges posed by fast bowling in the IPL this season.

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This isn’t the first time Maxwell took a break from cricket due fatigue, the Aussie all-rounder took a mental health break in October 2019 as well. Maxwell later opened up in an interview saying that he was cooked by constantly being on the road.

Other than him, England test captain Ben Stokes also took an indefinite break from all cricket in mid-2021 before the Test series at home against India to deal with his mental health. The all-rounder returned in December that year during the Ashes. Indian southpaw Ishan Kishan also allegedly requested the Indian team management for a break ahead of the Test series against South Africa in 2023. According to reports, Kishan cited mental fatigue.