Published: Apr 22, 2022, 10:19 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 22, 2022, 10:19 PM (IST)
Jos Buttler is not the most outgoing of players, nor is he the one with some great social media profile. A quiet soul, almost a little hesitant in the post-match interviews, Buttler’s bat talks in no uncertain terms and IPL 2022 is his oyster so far. No one has come near, and the way he is going, few are likely to. He came into the match with Delhi Capitals (DC) on Friday with two centuries under his belt and the Orange Cap firmly on his head. Whatever Rajasthan Royals (RR) have paid for the Englishman is worth every penny and then some.
The word “toying” didn’t even begin to describe what Buttler did to the DC bowlers. They began respectably, with few runs coming off the first three overs or so. Then, Buttler took over.
The sheer power of the man is amazing. He seems to half-hit the cricket ball and it goes flying, outside the playing arena if he doesn’t quite connect. If he does, it’s the second tier.
Three centuries from seven matches, not to mention two fifties. This is champagne stuff.
Buttler has scores of 35, 100, 70 not out, 13, 54, 103 and 116. The last, on Friday, came off 65 balls, with nine sixes and nine fours.
One of the sixes went for 107 metres, the longest in IPL 2022. Another was sent packing for 105 metres. Stuff like 90-plus was just par for the course.
But it was the last one that really put a stamp of authority on the knock. Buttler simply swatted a yorker from outside the off-stump over the long-off fielder. The technique was tremendous. The disdain, dazzling.
The Englishman now has 491 runs off seven innings, with an average of 81.83 and a strike rate of 161.51. This is just in seven matches!
The century was Buttler’s 4th in his IPL career, putting him just behind Chris Gayle (6) and Virat Kohli (5). But Gayle’s six came off 141 innings while Kohli took 205 innings to get his five. Buttler’s four have come off just 71 innings, and the way he’s going, who’s to say he won’t haul in that record this season itself.
Buttler’s fireworks was the cornerstone of the Rajasthan Royals total of 222 for 2, the highest in IPL 2022. There is no doubt that the opener has been largely instrumental in RR’s success in the season.
There are few players who make you sit up and notice, especially in a tournament as long as this. But when Buttler bats, drop everything and watch. This is worth the wait.
(The article was first published on india.com)
