Ben Stokes would have been “more surprised” had Jos Buttler not been able to pull it off for Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens on Tuesday night even after Rovman Powell’s dismissal. “That’s how good the man is,” the England all-rounder and Test captain wrote on X.
Well set then on 67, Buttler’s “ability to read game situations and take emotion out of it is what sets him apart,” Stokes further wrote, again emphasising why he wasn’t surprised with the England white-ball captain’s one-man-army-like showing against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
It was learnt that the Royals would be enjoying a couple of days off before their next game, which is on Monday against Mumbai Indians in Jaipur. While a few of the players have gone to New Delhi to play golf and relax, some, including Buttler, have already reached Jaipur. It suggests Buttler may already have begun his homework to deal with Jasprit Bumrah and the other MI bowlers.
Just as it does for the Royals in the remainder of this IPL, the majestic, unbeaten 60-ball ball 107 that Buttler smashed against the Knights to seal an unbelievable two-wicket win for the franchise bodes well for England too. Particularly, with just more than a month to go for the T20 World Cup beginning on June 4.
Besides, with Stokes opting out of the T20 showpiece in view of England’s Test assignments ahead, their white-ball skipper being in such scintillating form should certainly bring in some relief to the English camp when they get down to defend their title in the Caribbean and the United States.
Precisely, Knight Riders opener Phil Salt aside, the other England players like Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran are yet to come up with significant contributions in IPL 2024.
Make no mistake, Buttler’s mesmerising 107 not out on Tuesday proved his ability to take his team home single-handedly even from such a seemingly impossible situation. Without mental strength, Buttler would not have been able to produce an innings of such magnitude.
“Well, Jos kept going because he's an elite athlete and it just shows that in today's world of T20 cricket or any form of cricket, you need to be an elite athlete. You can't get away with just being a skilful player as that time has well and truly passed,” Tom Moody said in a Star Sports release.
