Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru between 2021-2024
When Maxwell joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2021, fans were excited to see him team up with Kohli. However, in a surprising twist, Kohli ended up blocking Maxwell on Instagram! Was it a heated argument? A prank gone wrong? Or just friendly banter? The story behind this unexpected move will leave you shocked. Let’s dig into what really happened between these two cricketing superstars!
India and Australia have always shared a fierce rivalry on the cricket field. After Australia knocked India out of the 2015 ODI World Cup, India got their revenge by eliminating Australia in the 2016 T20 World Cup. But the real battle came in the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy when Australia arrived in India for a four-match Test series. The series began with a shocker as Australia crushed India by 333 runs in Pune. However, India bounced back in the second Test with a brilliant fightback. The match turned even more dramatic when Australian captain Steve Smith was caught looking towards the dressing room for DRS help, leading to accusations of cheating and adding more fire to this legendary rivalry.
With this, leading to the Third Test of the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Ranchi, tensions between India and Australia were already high. During the match, Indian captain Virat Kohli suffered a shoulder injury while fielding, forcing him to leave the ground temporarily. This incident became a source of mockery when Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, after making a diving stop near the boundary, theatrically grabbed his shoulder and clearly mimicked Kohli’s injury.
The act quickly went viral, further intensifying the already heated series. However, Kohli, known for his fierce competitive spirit, didn’t forget the insult and when India bowled in Australia’s second innings, Ravindra Jadeja dismissed David Warner for just 14 runs. Seeing the moment, Kohli aggressively patted his own shoulder while celebrating and directly mocking Maxwell’s earlier gesture. The crowd erupted, and Kohli’s response became one of the most iconic moments of the series.
Despite the sledging and on-field drama, India won the fourth Test in Dharamsala, sealing a 2-1 series victory. After the match, Kohli made it clear that friendships with the Australian team had been affected, highlighting the intensity of the rivalry. Both Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli then managed to be on the same team in the Indian Premier League for four consecutive seasons.
The year was 2021 now, and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise had bought Glenn Maxwell for the IPL season for a whopping amount of INR 14.25 crore, as the franchise expected him to play a big role for the team. As Maxwell joined RCB, he was welcomed by Virat Kohli, the then-captain of the franchise, who sent him a message upon his arrival. The two cricketers soon started training together at the pre-IPL camp, strengthening their bond. However, a surprising incident unfolded when Maxwell attempted to follow Kohli on Instagram and couldn’t find his profile.
Initially, Maxwell assumed it was an error or that Kohli wasn’t active on Instagram. However, someone pointed out that the only way he couldn’t find Kohli’s account was if he had been blocked. This led to Maxwell directly asking Kohli if he had indeed blocked him. Kohli admitted that he had done so, citing an incident from 2017 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
During the third Test in Ranchi, Kohli had suffered a shoulder injury while fielding. Maxwell, in a light-hearted but provocative move, had mocked Kohli by clutching his own shoulder theatrically after making a diving stop. Kohli, known for his aggressive on-field personality, had taken offense at the gesture and decided to block Maxwell on Instagram as a reaction. On the whole incident, he said:
When I knew that I was going to RCB, Virat was the first guy to message me and welcome me to the team. When I turned up for the pre-IPL training camp, we obviously got chatting and spent a fair bit of time training together as you do. So I go to his social media to follow him. Didn’t even think about it before that. Never really crossed my mind. I was like I can’t find him.
I’m sure he’s on social media somewhere so I didn’t think anything of it. Not really that maybe he wasn’t savvy with Instagram. Didn’t really understand why he wasn’t coming up and then someone mentioned that he might have blocked you. That is the only way you’re not able to find him. I was like surely not.
Then I went and asked him “Have you blocked me on Instagram?”. And he was like, “Yeah probably. It was when you mocked me during that Test match. I think I got the sh*** and decided to block you”. I was like “Yeah, that’s fair enough”. So yeah, he ended up unblocking me, and we became great friends after that.
Upon learning this, Maxwell laughed and accepted the reasoning, acknowledging that it was a fair reaction from Kohli. However, the two quickly moved past the incident. Kohli unblocked Maxwell, and over the next few years, the duo became great friends, sharing a strong camaraderie at RCB. Maxwell continued to be a key player for the team alongside Kohli, contributing significantly in multiple IPL seasons.
After being bought in the auction by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2021 for INR 14.25 crore, Glenn Maxwell became a crucial part of the franchise. Over the seasons, the Australian all-rounder played 52 matches for RCB, making a significant impact with both the bat and ball. With the bat, Maxwell delivered several match-winning performances, scoring 1,266 runs in 50 innings at an impressive strike rate of 159.25. His highest score for RCB was 78, and he maintained an average of 28.77.
While he didn’t score a century, he registered 12 fifties and crossed the 30-run mark six times. Known for his aggressive batting, Maxwell smashed 114 fours and 69 sixes, proving to be a dangerous middle-order batter. However, he also had eight ducks in his tenure. As a bowler, Maxwell provided handy overs for RCB, bowling 398 deliveries and taking 18 wickets at an economy rate of 7.88.
His best bowling figures were 2/22, and he maintained a bowling average of 29.06. Although he never took a three or four-wicket haul, he played a supporting role with his off-spin. In the field, Maxwell was a reliable fielder, taking 17 catches, with his best performance being two catches in a match. Overall, Maxwell’s time at RCB showcased his versatility as an all-rounder, helping the team in multiple roles. However, after the 2024 season, he was released by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru management.