Chasing a target of 224, the 2008 champions Rajasthan Royals were in a spot of bother in the last three overs. The needed 46 runs off the final 16 balls.. At 178/7 after 17 overs, Royals still had Jos Buttler at the crease on 67 off 47 balls. KKR were aware of the threat posed by the opening batter.
The England white-ball captain missed RR’s match against Punjab Kings due to a minor injury. He was used as an impact player on his return for the contest against the Knight Riders.
KKR opener Sunil Narine smashed his maiden T20 hundred to propel KKR to a massive total at home. RR were expecting similar innings from Jos and he didn’t disappoint.
During the post-match presentation, Jos Buttler spoke to former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar. Buttler said that he was struggling a bit but took the inspiration from Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.
“Believing in myself was the key to success. I was struggling to find my rhythm initially and felt frustrated at times. However, I told myself to stay calm and keep going. There have been many instances in the IPL where players like Dhoni and Kohli batted till the end. I tried to follow them,” said Buttler.
Meanwhile, Jos Buttler surpassed Chris Gayle on the list of most IPL centuries. Rajasthan Royals opener now has seven IPL hundreds, just one shy of Kohli’s record of eight centuries in the league.
“Sangakkara has often quoted that there is always a turning point. The worst thing to do is to surrender your wicket without a fight. He suggested me to withstand the pressure and wait for the momentum. I followed his suggestion and it benefitted me,” he added.
Buttler scored 107 not out off 60 balls, packed with 9 fours and 6 sixes.
