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The Rajasthan Royals (RR) were in a precarious position chasing a mammoth target of 224 set by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL 2024 clash on Tuesday, April 16. With 17 overs bowled, they were still 46 runs away from victory and had lost 7 wickets. Despite the daunting task, the Knight Riders weren't entirely confident as the dangerous looking Jos Buttler was still at the crease with a score of 67 runs off 47 balls. Just a few days earlier, he had single-handedly chased down a big total against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) with a dominant century. He even outshone Virat Kohli in that match. However, a minor niggle forced him to miss the next game against Punjab Kings. Thankfully for Rajasthan, the IPL's Impact Player rule allowed them to save him for the crucial match against KKR, utilising him purely as a batsman.
Rajasthan fans had high hopes for Jos Buttler's return, especially after witnessing the explosive century scored by Kolkata Knight Riders' pinch-hitter, Sunil Narine. Their hopes weren't misplaced! Just like he had done against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Buttler emerged as the hero once again, surpassing another centurion in the IPL.
Jos Buttler namedrops Dhoni, Kohli after lightning ton
Remarkably, Buttler remained confident throughout Rajasthan's record-breaking chase even when the team was in a tight spot. He later revealed during the post-match presentation that he actually struggled for rhythm. Interestingly, he drew inspiration from legendary Indian batsmen MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to pull off this incredible victory for the Rajasthan Royals.
"Keep believing, that was the real key today. I was struggling a bit for rhythm. At times you feel frustrated or you are questioning yourself. I tell myself it's okay, keep going, you'll get your rhythm back and try to stay calm. There's been plenty of times throughout the IPL, you've seen crazy things happen. Guys like Dhoni and Kohli, the way they stay till the end and keep believing and I tried to do the same," Buttler said after the match.
“That's something Sangakkara has told me a lot - there's always a breaking point. The worse thing you can do is to not fight and give your wicket away. He (Sangakkara) just tells me to stay there and at some point, the momentum will change. That's been a big part of my play over the last few years,” he concluded.
Sunil Narine's ton in vain
Buttler stole the show from fellow centurion Sunil Narine, rewriting the record books in the process. While Narine smashed a quick 109 runs off 56 balls for KKR, Buttler outshone him with a majestic 107 off just 60 deliveries. This knock not only propelled RR to victory but also saw Buttler break Kohli's record for most centuries in IPL run chases. With this third ton, Buttler surpassed Kohli's previous record of two centuries while chasing.
This achievement placed Buttler in elite company. He joined batting legend Kohli and all-rounder Ben Stokes, who both hold the record of two centuries while chasing in the IPL. Additionally, Buttler edged past Chris Gayle for the most centuries overall in the league. Now just one century away from matching Kohli's record of eight IPL centuries, Buttler's performance has cemented his place among the league's greatest batsmen.
Notably, Rajasthan continue to sit at the top of the IPL 2024's points table with six wins in a total of seven games. Sanju Samson's men will next face five-time champions Mumbai Indians on April 22.
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