Jos Buttler's top 3 moments in the IPL
After the original Mr. 3600 - AB de Villiers, if there's one batsman who has been anything close to the South African (of course, along with Suryakumar Yadav), it is Jos Buttler.
If you want to describe Jos Buttler, then destruction, power, and elegance—these three words perfectly describe his caliber and performance.
England's white ball captain turned 33 on September 8. Playing in more than 300 international matches and around 100 IPL matches, Buttler is one of those rare breeds of cricketers who have tasted success in every format of the game across the globe.
He is one of the most flexible batsmen in the game today, one who can fit anywhere from the top order, to the middle order and sometimes, even donning the role of finisher at 5/6.
In his earlier days, England tried him in the lower order, considering his astute power-hitting game against pace bowling.
Despite being one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket, Jos Buttler had to wait a long time for his IPL debut due to the curfew imposed on English cricketers for their participation in the IPL. Once that was lifted from 2016 on, Buttler fetched a hefty deal, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Jos Buttler's major recognition came when he started opening for the Rajasthan Royals and never looked back. He owned that role like no one else and started decimating bowlers not only in the IPL, but also at the international white-ball cricket level.
In this article, we will discuss some of his memorable moments from his illustrious IPL career, which established him as one of the most fearsome batsmen going around.
Jos Buttler's top 3 moments in the IPL
#3. 94* off 53 against Mumbai Indians, Wankhede Stadium, IPL 2018
It was in the second half of IPL 2018 when the Rajasthan Royals decided to move Buttler up the order to open the innings, which proved to be a masterstroke.
In the reverse fixture against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, not only did Buttler turn his fortunes around, but the Royals got off to a quickfire start that laid the foundation for them with the bat.
A collective bowling performance saw the Royals restrict the hosts to 168/6, despite an 87-run opening wicket stand between Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav.
While batting, Rajasthan opener D'Arcy Short's failure didn't have any effect on Buttler, as he fired on all cylinders, with skipper Rahane holding an end up.
RR did have some hiccups in the middle with MI bowlers chipping in with some wickets at regular intervals, but none of them could trouble Buttler, who was undeterred and in cruise control throughout the chase.
Jos Buttler didn't even spare Jasprit Bumrah from smoking him for two sixes, one over midwicket and one over long-on region, as the opener dished out a clinic to finish with an unbeaten 94 off 53 deliveries, helping RR coasted home with two overs to spare.
#2. 95* off 60 balls against Chennai Super Kings, Jaipur, IPL 2018
It required a sensational knock from Jos Buttler to climb the mountain of 177 runs against the men from Chennai Super Kings on a sluggish Sawai Mansingh Stadium track in Jaipur in IPL 2018.
With useful contributions from Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni, CSK managed to put up more than a par total on a track that was tailor-made for their bowlers, and it seemed like CSK would get away with the match.
They almost did that with spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh, who choked the run flow of RR innings, forcing their batsmen to try out the riskier options.
Buttler, hampered by fatigue and struggling with cramps, still found enough within himself to stand firm between CSK and victory.
After initial outbursts, he decided to take the innings deep with occasional boundaries, and then in the end, with a stunning shot over mid-wicket, he propelled his team to a famous win, scoring a magnificent 95* off just 60 balls.
#1. Winning the Orange Cap in IPL 2022
The "Midas Touch" for Jos Buttler came in IPL 2022, a season where whatever he touched turned into gold.
In just 17 matches, Buttler amassed a whopping total of 863 runs at an average of 57.53 and a strike rate of 149.05, missing out on surpassing the almost improbable all-time tally of 973 runs from Virat Kohli in the IPL 2016 season.
Buttler was operating on another level in IPL 2022, making runs at blistering pace and scoring centuries for fun.