IPL 2021: Jos Buttler presents an autographed bat to Yashasvi Jaiswal

Jos Buttler didn’t have the best of campaigns to start with, in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League. To start with, he managed only 130 runs in his first six matches at an average of a shade over 20. His strike rate wasn’t much on the higher side either.

He started batting in the middle order, but after Ben Stokes was ruled out due to injury, he went back to open the batting for his team. The move paid dividends, in the end, as he notched a stupendous knock for the Rajasthan Royals in their match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 2.

At the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, he scored 124 off 64 balls. After the game, Buttler autographed the bat and gave it to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is also a part of the Royals. It goes without saying, Jaiswal was happy after Buttler’s gesture.

Here’s the post

A special gift from a special opening partner. ?#HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | @yashasvi_j | @josbuttler pic.twitter.com/VE3QIE0kct

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 4, 2021

I will take confidence from this knock: Jos Buttler

In the meantime, Buttler felt that he had to ‘swallow his ego’ and accept the happening around him. The veteran said that even as he liked to take on the bowling from the outset, there are times when he has to put his head down.

“Sometimes you would have to swallow your ego and accept that things haven’t been happening like you would like them to or you don’t feel in perfect touch or you are not picking up the ball well and just give yourself some time and find a way. I like to be aggressive and scoring at a strike rate from the outset but sometimes that isn’t possible,” Buttler told.

“Just try and stay in and to keep the belief that at some point something will click and you will turn that around. Of course, I will take confidence from this knock and cricket will always show that you are only one good shot away or a slice of luck away from being back in form,” he added.

Sanju Samson, RR’s skipper, also sounded happy with Buttler’s knock on Sunday. “Always a pleasure to bat with Jos (Buttler). Enjoyed the partnership. Whenever he goes on, we win games,” Samson said. The Royals won the match by 55 runs.