England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler showed yet again why he is considered one of the best in the world in T20 cricket as he steered Rajasthan Royals over the line against Chennai Super Kings in the IPL on Monday night.
The Royals were chasing a modest target but the pitch was slow and sluggish and CSK made a great start by removing the top order. Buttler repaired the innings along with captain Steve Smith and then took the attack to the opposition.
On a pitch where every batsman struggled, Buttler stood apart with an unbeaten knock of 70 in just 48 deliveries, hitting 2 sixes and 7 boundaries during his knock. Buttler, who had been struggling to give his team quick starts at the top of the order is back to batting where he is comfortable and that is showing in his resurgence.
Buttler, who does the job of a finisher for England it seems has found his groove in the middle order, but remains open to bat wherever his team needs him to.
“It’s different (from opening the innings). In the middle we are a lot more reactive to what’s happened before. I am happy to play both roles, wherever the team requires me to play,” Buttler said in a video tweeted by the Royals.
“We needed a partnership, the run rate was never a big issue. We weren’t chasing a big total we lost a couple of wickets and we just needed a partnership and calm the game down and get the momentum back from CSK,” Buttler said.
He has called for an improved effort on the field, adding that the team gave away an extra 10-15 runs during their victory against Chennai Super Kings.
“We could still improve our fielding. We probably gave 10 or 15 away in the field,” Buttler said.
“It was a much-needed win. It was a pretty good performance with the ball. Jofra has been fantastic and Shreyas and Rahul Tewatia were brilliant with the leg spin,” he added.
The Royals looked in commanding positions against the Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Banglore in their previous two outings. However, Smith and his men were unable to cross the finish line.
They are currently placed fifth on the points table with four wins from 10 matches. The win against CSK has kept their playoff hopes alive.
“At times, we have certainly not played the best cricket in the tournament but over the last three games we have played but have just won one.
“This is the business end and this is where we need to pull the results out. Good sign that we playing better cricket,” Buttler added.
(With PTI inputs)
Source: IPLT20.com