3 ways LSG can stop Jos Buttler from playing a big knock in their IPL 2023 clash against RR
Stopping Jos Buttler will be high up the agenda of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) when they take on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their IPL 2023 clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday, April 19.
The Super Giants enter the top-of-the-table contest on the back of a loss at the hands of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at home and will have a big task on hand with RR establishing themselves as the team to beat this season.
A good part of that is down to Buttler's form, with the Englishman tallying 204 runs so far at an average of 40.80 and a strike rate of 163.20. Without an iota of doubt, LSG will need to devise multiple strategies to stop him from running away with the game up top.
Jos Buttler has been the best IPL batter especially from the last couple of seasons 🫡🤩
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Here's a look into three different ways they can do so ahead of tonight's IPL 2023 clash:
#1 Exploring the possibility of Marcus Stoinis with the new ball
Now this may come as a real surprise, but Marcus Stoinis does have the ability to swing the new ball as he showed during the ODIs against India recently.
With Yudhvir Singh impressing on his debut against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), he is expected to open the bowling and swing the new ball.
Buttler tends to play away from his body and uses a lot of wrists in his shots as he accesses the off-side. Shaping the ball away on a full length in the channel outside the off stump could just induce the edge and pose a number of questions.
To deploy it from both ends, Stoinis could be looked at as an option when LSG face RR tonight. While he hasn't bowled yet in IPL 2023, skipper KL Rahul can just dangle the carrot and consider this.
#2 Bumper-yorker ploy with Mark Wood
Mark Wood has never bowled to Buttler in a T20 game to date but that could change in the IPL 2023 clash between LSG and RR. The pacer has been in red-hot wicket-taking form and has been at his accurate best, with his velocity proving very tough to tackle.
High pace has got the better of Buttler on the odd occasion, with Anrich Nortje and Lockie Ferguson having got past him in seasons gone by. While Nortje used sheer pace to do so in IPL 2020, Ferguson used the slower yorker to great effect last year.
What Wood can do is rush his national white-ball skipper for pace with the short ball, while setting him up for the fast yorker. Given that the England pacer has been firing rockets upwards of 150 kph at will, he might just be able to breach the defense of his compatriot using this strategy.
#3 Gamble with Ravi Bishnoi in the powerplay
Ravi Bishnoi with another remarkable spell in IPL 2023 🔥
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The third plan that Rahul and LSG might want to look at is the possibility of deploying Ravi Bishnoi in the powerplay. While it is considered risky to bowl a wrist-spinner with just two fielders patrolling the ropes, Bishnoi's defensive skills and accuracy should see him hold his own.
With Buttler set to be partnered by left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal up top, Bishnoi might fancy his chances given how well he bowls to southpaws. If he can dot Jaiswal up, he might just induce a false shot from Buttler at the other end.
His ability to get the ball to skid off the deck and attack the stumps could also trap the swashbuckling right-hander in his crease and bring lbw into play. A bowler of his quality can certainly be trusted to do the job and LSG will do well to not under-bowl him as they did in their last IPL 2023 clash.
Will Jos Buttler play a big knock when RR take on LSG in IPL 2023? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also read: IPL 2023: 3 records that can be broken in today's RR vs LSG fixture