IPL 2018: Buttler gets the T20 recipe right

Buttler's calmness at the crease was astonishing, as were his improvised shots executed with absolute certainty.

Published : May 12, 2018 13:23 IST , JAIPUR

Jos Buttler has donned the hat of an accumulator as well as a finisher for Rajasthan Royals this season.
Jos Buttler has donned the hat of an accumulator as well as a finisher for Rajasthan Royals this season.
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Jos Buttler has donned the hat of an accumulator as well as a finisher for Rajasthan Royals this season.

Jos Buttler has donned the hat of an accumulator as well as a finisher for Rajasthan Royals this season. Batting remains a tricky issue for the Royals but given Buttler's form - 415 runs from 11 games with four half-centuries - it was no real surprise that his unbeaten 95 off 60 balls saw Rajasthan beat CSK by four wickets on Friday.

READ: Buttler pulls off thrilling chase to keep RR afloat

The Englishman made batting looking utterly easy on a pitch where the likes of M.S. Dhoni, Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu had struggled to get going. The wicketkeeper-batsman anchored the chase, stroking 11 fours and smashing two sixes.

Former New Zealand captain and CSK coach, Stephen Fleming, observed: “Under pressure, Buttler played a good innings on a difficult track. We could have been more accurate, but the way Buttler played, it looked like two different games. It was a great lone hand. We hung in there and had our chances, but could not capitalise.”

Buttler's calmness at the crease was astonishing, as were his improvised shots executed with absolute certainty. Buttler stepped back for the cut past point, stepped out for the cover drive and stepped forward and low for the sweep.

Fleming summed up the opener’s show, saying: “We had to get Ben Stokes and Buttler early. We got Stokes, but Buttler was a class act and was able to take the conditions out of play. We knew we would have a chance if we got him out, but we did not.”

Three days ago, in tougher batting conditions at the Sawai Mansingh stadium, Buttler had trumped a different set of bowlers in Kings XI Punjab pacer Andrew Tye and spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, currently No. 1  and No. 3 in the overall wickets tally.

Buttler’s 82 off 58 balls had boosted Rajasthan's hopes at a time when teammates Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson and Ben Stokes found the going difficult.

With the keeping gloves on, he pulled off a leg-side stumping to get rid of in-form Chris Gayle.

The Jaipur franchise signed the 27-year-old for Rs 4.4 crore and given his current form, it is turning out to be a blue-chip investment.

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