Glenn Maxwell is no stranger to the exhilarating, yet intimidating, Wankhede Stadium crowd. He enjoyed the adulation as part of the Mumbai Indians outfit in Pepsi IPL 2013. When he returned to the venue this season, he was on the other side of the fence, an opponent, with the Kings XI Punjab.

While he played down the peculiarity of the occasion, Maxwell could not help but be amazed by the enormous passion in the stands of the Wankhede Stadium. Although his team lost the game by five wickets, Maxwell continued his fiery form with a 27-ball 45.

At the end of the match, Maxwell spoke to iplt20.com about his ongoing dream IPL season and gave a deeper insight into his seemingly simple game of seeing and hitting the ball. 

Here are excerpts from his interview:

Was there a sense of occasion for you and Johnson playing against MI?

Not really. It was just about trying to do the job we’ve been doing in the last five games. Yes, myself, Mitch (Johnson), Akshar (Patel) and Rishi (Dhawan) have played for MI before, but everyone changes teams and there’s nothing strange about it anymore to us. It was unfortunate to end on the losing side, but it was also nice to see a couple of friends there.

The Wankhede Stadium was MI’s fortress the last year. How did it feel to be on the opposite side today?

I felt the crowd was pretty generous to both teams. I was fielding at the boundary and they were waving and cheering. I didn’t feel like there was any animosity, more so because the children enjoyed every moment of the match. MI are supporting a great cause and it was so good to see the children here in thousands; it’s great for the community.

Did your experience with MI last year help you settle into this tournament this year?

I knew what to expect in the IPL. I just wanted to get the opportunity to show my ways out in the middle and luckily enough Kings XI are giving me that opportunity this year. I am really relishing it and the role I am playing in the team. It’s a nice position to be in at the moment.

Shane Watson said that playing the IPL at a young age helped him mature quickly as a cricketer. Are you experiencing the beginning of that?

Honestly, I haven’t really thought about it like that. I don’t dwell into how it’s been affecting me or anything; I just go out there and try to hit the ball. I enjoy meeting different people, knowing different cultures and that’s about as far as it goes.

George Bailey said that when you see Maxwell bat, all you can see is the flamboyance and aggression. But he puts a lot more thought and preparation into his game. Tell me something about that.

That’s right actually. I like thinking my way through the game. People might not see it from the outside, but when I am batting, I am picking my areas to hit the ball and picking my bowlers. It’s not all about bashing the ball; I do like to outthink the opposition. Even while fielding, I think about the game situations. That’s the great thing about the IPL – it stretches your thinking and imagination and it gives a chance to grow to someone who wants to be a future leader.

Will we see you coming up with more improvised shots like Warner, de Villiers, etc?

You have seen a fair bit, but yes, you will see a plenty more. The way the competition is, everyone plays each other twice and that gives us the chance to decipher each other’s games. I know what the opposition players are trying to do with me, and if I can pull off a new shot, they will struggle to read me.