Jos Buttler has been playing in the Indian T20 League since the 2016 edition but his career truly took off when he made the move to Rajasthan from Mumbai in 2018.
He finished as the Rajasthan's highest run-scorer during the 2018 edition, with 548 runs to his name at an excellent average of 54.80 and followed that up with another good outing in 2019, scoring 311 runs at 38.87.
Buttler has played many match-winning knocks while accumulating these runs and we will take a look at three of his most memorable stints with the bat.
95* vs Chennai (Jaipur 2018)
This is Buttler's best score in his Indian T20 League career and it couldn't have come against better opposition. Chennai had posted a challenging total of 176/4 on the board in their quota of overs. It would require a stout batting effort to chase the target down against a street-smart Chennai bowling attack but Buttler was more than up to the task.
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He started with aggressive intent, putting his anchors down during the middle overs and accelerating again at the death to chase the target down almost single-handedly. Finally, he ended up with a score of an unbeaten 95 off just 60 deliveries and took the Rajasthan over the line in a close battle.
The next best score in their innings was 22 by Stuart Binny and that further drives home the importance of the English batsman's knock.
89 vs Mumbai (Mumbai 2019)
The wicketkeeper-batsman played another match-winning knock last year against his former team Mumbai. This was a tough chase, with Buttler was at the helm of it once again.
Mumbai had set a target of 188 runs for Rajasthan to chase and against a bowling unit that consisted of names like Jasprit Bumrah, Alzarri Joseph and Jason Behrendorff, getting those runs was always going to be difficult.
However, once again, Buttler was up for the challenge. He started off the chase by forging a 60-run opening stand with Ajinkya Rahane and didn't slow down even after Rahane departed. Buttler kept smashing the bowlers all around the ground and was finally dismissed in the 14th over for a knock of 89 off just 43 deliveries, an innings laced with eight fours and seven sixes.
His attacking knock helped bring the run-rate down and the other Rajasthan batsmen chased the target down comfortably.
77 vs Punjab (Indore 2017)
This innings is one from his days with Mumbai and it came in another steep run-chase. Punjab had posted a total of 198/4, riding on Hashim Amla's century. Buttler hadn't had the best of outings in the tournament either but he lit up Indore with his big-hitting when the situation demanded.
Buttler took the attack to the Punjab bowlers from the onset of his innings and raised up 81 runs for the first wicket along with Parthiv Patel inside the first six overs. He carried on in his own belligerent manner even after Patel departed and took Mumbai's score to 166 by the time he was dismissed in the 14th over.
His knock of 77 came off just 37 deliveries and included seven fours and five sixes. Mumbai won the match comfortably, as they completed the chase with 27 deliveries to spare.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe
