In that same T20 world cup tournament, the English skipper finished as the fourth highest run-getter with 225 runs, with England lifting the trophy by beating Pakistan by 5 wickets in the final in Melbourne.
Buttler – less celebrated despite leading England to a World Cup crown – however, is remembered for leading the team in 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup in India that crashed out at the league stage.
The 33-year-old on Tuesday yet again showed his mettle and strength, as he scored an unbeaten 107 runs for Rajasthan Royals in 60 deliveries. This helped the Indian Premier league toppers RR maintain the status quo, as KKR unbelievably lost at Eden Gardens by two wickets.
KKR which scored 223/6 in 20 overs, could only see how Buttler was thrashing its bowlers, hitting sixes and fours. The English batter snatched away the match from KKR’s clutch in a nail biting match that continued till last delivery.
ALSO READ: IPL 2024: Jos Buttler wants THIS Bollywood superstar to star in his biopic
Though RR skipper Sanju Samson called Buttler’s innings as among the best of his IPL centuries, Rovmal Powell termed it one of the top five T20 innings he had ever seen.
Buttler, who arrived at the pitch as an ‘Impact Substitute’ in the second innings, scored 70 out of the last 103 runs from the time RR were reduced to 121 for six, ensuring Royals are happy.
In his innings, several records were broken too. First being Royals chased down the joint-highest score in the IPL, secondly Royals registered the maximum runs in the last six overs and it was Buttler’s 7th ton in IPL.
Buttler’s reaction:
At the post-match presentation, Buttler said, “Keep believing, that was the real key today,” adding, “At times, felt like I was struggling a bit for rhythm. Actually have been watching the golf and I saw a guy called Max Holmes. Anytime the negative thoughts come, I think the complete opposite and dare to dream. That’s what kept me going.”
On being asked what was going on his mind while batting, he took Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni’s name.
“At times you feel frustrated or you are questioning yourself”, adding, “I was trying to tell myself it’d be okay, keep going, you’ll get your rhythm back and try to stay calm. There’s been plenty of times throughout the IPL, you’ve seen crazy things happen. Guys like Dhoni and Kohli, the way they stay till the end and keep believing, you’ve seen it so many times in the IPL and I was trying to do the same.”
“That’s something Kumar Sangakkara has told me a lot – there’s always a little breaking point. The worst thing you can do when you are not feeling your best is to fight it and try to force the issue and give your wicket away. He just tells me to stay there and at some point, the momentum will change or you’ll find your rhythm or one shot will get you going. That’s been a big part of my play over the last few years – try to stay the course and not get in my own way” he added.
Joins the overseas great club in IPL:
Buttler – despite 3,473 runs in 102 matches, average 39.02, strike-rate 148.29 – is not as popular as other overseas players like Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Shane Watson.
A half century in every four innings shows he has ticked all the boxes.
ALSO READ: KKR vs RR IPL 2024: Shah Rukh Khan wins hearts after hugging Jos Buttler, the architect of Kolkata’s loss
What experts say:
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh lauded Buttler, calling him as ‘special player’.
“He is a special player. He is a player of a different level. Jos Buttler hasn’t done this for the first time. He has done this many times and we will see him doing this job many times going forward as well. He is an incredible player. We don’t talk much about him because he is not an Indian player,” Harbhajan said on Star Sports.
Accoding to Harbhajan, Buttler should be given the same respect like Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“If Virat Kohli had scored this century, we would have sung his praises for two months, just like we talk about MS Dhoni’s four (three) sixes. We should celebrate him just like we celebrate our players because he is also one of the legends of the game,” the former India spinner added.
The Indian veteran spinner even applauded Buttler for not losing calm and focus till the end.
“He was very calm and composed and just continued to do his job. Whenever he got an opportunity, he hit fours and sixes, and took singles and doubles. He kept moving the game forward. When batters are getting out from the other end, it’s very important to hold your composure and play your own game,” he elaborated.
With agency inputs.
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Published: 17 Apr 2024, 07:10 PM IST