The World Cup-winning six MS Dhoni hit in 2011 inspired me: Jos Buttler
England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler is one of the many cricketers who look up to MS Dhoni for inspiration. Recently, after a match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings in IPl 2020, Buttler received a special gift from Dhoni – his No. 7 jersey.
In an interaction with the Times of India, Buttler spoke about his admiration for the former Indian captain and the moments which made him fall in love with the legend.
“I like his demeanour on the field. How cool and calm he is. I like his explosive batting, the helicopter shot. I always watched the IPL on TV. I remember some of the great innings he has played," said Buttler.
"One thing I really love is the 2011 World Cup final, how he walked out to bat and said I am going to see this home. That was inspiring and the way he finished the game with a six, it always resonated with me,” continued Buttler.
While MS Dhoni has not enjoyed his time in this year’s IPL, both as a captain and a batsman. Buttler, on the hand, has churned out a few match-winning performances for the Jaipur-based franchise.
Most recently, Buttler remained unbeaten on 22 as the Royals registered a seven-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab on Friday to keep their IPL 2020 playoffs hopes alive.
MS Dhoni fails to take CSK to the playoffs
For the first time in CSK's history, the team failed to reach the playoffs of the tournament this season. While MS Dhoni has consistently underperformed with the bat, he has also been criticised for his comments on the youngsters in the team.
Dhoni had recently said that he benched the younger players in the initial few games of IPL 2020 because he couldn’t see a spark in them. This comment, however, was followed by two back-to-back fifties from Ruturaj Gaikwad in winning efforts. The three-time champions currently sit at the bottom of the points table and will play their last match of the season on Sunday.