Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh made a few controversial statements following Jos Buttler's unbeaten century during the match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 17 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He said that Buttler is an incredible player but didn’t receive praise like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli because he is not an Indian Player.
Buttler played one of the best innings of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 and belted 107 off 60 balls to help RR beat KKR by two wickets in the 31st match of the IPL 2024. This was his seventh century in the rich-cash tournament. KKR had posted a huge total of 223 on the board with the help of Sunil Narine 109 off 56 balls and RR chased down the mammoth target as Buttler held firm at one end and single-handedly took his team to IPL's record chase against KKR at the packed stadium.
Harbhajan lavished praise on Buttler for his heroic display and labelled him a ‘special player’.
"He is a special player. He is a player of a different level. Jos Buttler hasn't done this for the first time. He has done this many times and we will see him doing this job many times going forward as well. He is an incredible player. We don't talk much about him because he is not an Indian player," Harbhajan said on Star Sports.
The former Indian spinner went on to say that he didn’t get the same appreciation as compared to the Indian stars.
"If Virat Kohli had scored this century, we would have sung his praises for two months, just like we talk about MS Dhoni's four (three) sixes. We should celebrate him just like we celebrate our players because he is also one of the legends of the game," the former India spinner added.
Jos Buttler was very calm and composed
Harbhajan also talked about Buttler’s remarkable innings and highlighted that the RR opener showed his composure under pressure.
"He was very calm and composed and just continued to do his job. Whenever he got an opportunity, he hit fours and sixes, and took singles and doubles. He kept moving the game forward. When batters are getting out from the other end, it's very important to hold your composure and play your own game," he concluded.
Following the victory against KRR, the RR have retained the top spot in the table. They won six out of seven matches. The Sanju Samson-led side will face Mumbai Indians (MI) in their next match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on April 22.
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