Jos Buttler knows how to win games for the team: Nikhil Chopra

The England top-order batter Jos Buttler has been one of the finest players for the Rajasthan Royals(RR) in the last few editions. Ahead of the IPL 2022 season, he was one of the three retentions and high hopes were pinned on him to perform well for the team. After the completion of the league stage, he is the Orange Cap holder with 629 runs in 14 games. Ahead of the RR’s Qualifier 1 fixture against Gujarat Titans (GT), former Indian cricketers Nikhil Chopra and Wasim Jaffer shared their views on Buttler’s form.

On being asked about Buttler scoring 491 runs in the first seven games, and 138 in the next seven, Chopra said that the much-needed break before the playoffs will keep the Englishman in remembrance of his fine knocks in the tournament. He added that if Buttler gets a good start, he can win the games for the team by converting it into a big innings. The former bowler reckoned if the 31-year-old manages to stay at the crease, his unorthodox shots have troubled the bowlers on most occasions.

“He is still the leading run-scorer in this season, and the most important thing is this break will keep him thinking the worst is over, and you need to remember the knocks in the first half and the centuries as well. If he gets a good start, Buttler has the ability to convert into a big one and knows how to win games for the team. He forces the bowlers to bowl at his strengths, then the paddle sweeps, and shot over fine leg come into the picture, and is a talented player,” said Chopra on Sky247.net presents ‘Not Just Cricket’ Show on CricTracker.

Meanwhile, Jaffer said that Buttler needs to feature in the playoffs with no baggage on his mind. He reckoned that the slump in the Englishman’s form is partly due to the pitches getting slower in the second half. “The best thing you can do is to go on the field with no baggage on your mind. The part of the problem was the used pitches in the second half, with the balk not coming into the bat to his liking, and started to spin as well. He needs to play at least 15-20 balls and can be a dangerous batter.”