IPL 2021 | “It was nice to spend time in the middle and get back to my best,” says Jos Buttler after scoring his maiden T20 century

Jos Buttler was absolutely phenomenal in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Seizing the occasion and the turbulence in the SRH camp he made mincemeat of their bowling unit and raced his way through to an excellent hundred, his first in T20 cricket.

Buttler had a disappointing IPL experience prior to this game where he had managed to score just 130 runs in six innings, a dismal return for one of the best white-ball batsmen in the world. However, he roared back to his best and smashed 124 runs in just 64 deliveries, his innings including 11 fours and eight sixes. Buttler’s innings helped RR post a massive total of 220 and they ended up winning the game by 55 runs.

Speaking about returning back to form in the post-match press conference, Buttler revealed a good mindset has helped him and he felt nice spending time in the middle today. “This is up there (among my best) and certainly my first hundred in T20 cricket. I am delighted with that. I won’t say that I have been at my most fluent of late. I haven’t quite been feeling at ease at the crease, sort of searching for something. But what has been good is keeping a good mindset. Everyday is a new opportunity, and the next game is the one where it may turnaround. You just keep doing the good things. Absolutely enjoyed today. It was nice to spend some time in the middle and sort of get back to my best,” said the England batsman.

When asked about his conventional shot selections today, the 30-year-old asserted that while T20 cricket is primarily about big-hitting, it is equally important to pick one’s shots.

“The whole game of cricket is about managing risk and choosing when to take your options. Sometimes, you get a feel for a bowler or a different read of a field. A lot of the time in the first six overs, you are trying to play some really good cricketing shots.

“Obviously, there are only two fielders outside the inner ring, so if you can find the gaps and play good cricket shots, you can score well during that period. As the game moves on, you have to look at different fields and what are the best options on the surface and given the dimensions on the ground. Just trying to take all those things into account and make your decisions. Watch the ball as hard as you can,” concluded Buttler.