‘Felt strange being on the other side’ – Jos Buttler on playing former team Rajasthan Royals

Jos Buttler has opened up about his feelings of playing against hid former franchise Rahasthan Royals for the first time as Gujarat Titans faced Sanju Samson and Co. in Ahmedabad on April 10. The star player admitted that it felt a “bit strange” for him to be on the other side of the Royals. However, he also stated that he was more desperate for a win against the Royals. Buttler felt his team gave an excellent performance and added he has enjoyed his new challenge with the Titans.

“It did feel a bit strange being on the other side against the Rajasthan Royals. But to be honest, I was even more desperate for the win today. I think it was an excellent team performance. I’m really enjoying the new challenge,” Buttler told JioHotstar after his team’s 58-run win.

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The English batter played for Mumbai Indians in 2016 and 2017 before joining the Royals in 2018. For MI, the wicketkeeper batter scored 527 runs in 24 innings at a batting average of 25.10 and a strike rate of 145.98.

However, his IPL legacy took a different turn  2018 to 2024 with RR, with whom he scored 3055 runs in 82 innings at an average of 41.85 and strike rate of 147.80, including seven hundreds and 18 fifty-plus scores. The T20 World Cup-winning skipper also won the Orange Cap and the Player of the Tournament awards in 2022, when Royals finished as runners-up after losing the final to Buttler’s current franchise.

“t helps that I’m coming in behind two fantastic openers: Jos Buttler

When asked about his new role as a No. 3 batter for GT, Buttler said he has been batting at the position for England and does not feel unfamiliar. He also stated that it helps that he has two talented batters – Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill – before him. Buttler concluded by saying openers help him by playing the tough early phase in the Powerplay overs.

“I’ve been batting at No. 3 for England recently, so it’s not unfamiliar. It helps that I’m coming in behind two fantastic openers who usually lay a strong platform. If there’s any swing, they deal with it, and get to walk in once the ball stops moving, which is quite nice,” Buttler added.

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