"Thank you for welcoming me with open arms" - Jos Buttler shares heartwarming message after being released by RR ahead of IPL 2025 auction

England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler shared a heartfelt message on social media to express his gratitude to the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The franchise recently decided to release him ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League mega auction.

In a surprising move, the franchise didn't retain Buttler and chose to keep the following players: Sanju Samson (₹18 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (₹18 crore), Riyan Parag (₹14 crore), Dhruv Jurel (₹14 crore), Shimron Hetmyer (₹11 crore), and Sandeep Sharma (₹4 crore).

On Sunday, November 3, the 34-year-old took to Instagram to express his gratitude to the franchise, stating:

“If it turns out that this is the end, thank you @rajasthanroyals, and everyone involved with the franchise for 7 incredible seasons together. 2018 kickstarted the best years of my cricketing career and many of my most cherished memories have come in a Pink shirt over the last 6 years. Thank you for welcoming me and my family with open arms. Could write so much more but let’s leave it here.”

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Buttler is set to enter the mega auction, and considering his skill level, many teams are likely to compete for his services. With just ₹41 crore left in their budget, it appears unlikely that the Rajasthan Royals will be able to sign him again.

Jos Buttler remains the third-highest run-scorer for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL history

Jos Buttler joined the Rajasthan Royals in 2018 and made a remarkable contribution to the franchise. Over seven seasons, he appeared in 83 matches, accumulating 3,055 runs at an average of 41.28 and a strike rate of 147.79, including 18 fifties and seven centuries.

Jos Buttler's standout season was in 2022, when he scored 863 runs in 17 games at an average of 57.53. With four fifties and four centuries in that campaign, he led Rajasthan to a runner-up finish and won the Orange Cap. The aggressive opener remains second on the list of players with the most IPL centuries (7), trailing only Virat Kohli (8).