England’s veteran wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler is currently on a long layoff due to a hamstring injury he sustained during the ODI series against Sri Lanka at home last year. Buttler has undergone successful surgery and is highly unlikely to don the England jersey for several months. Speaking on his For the Love of Cricket podcast, Stuart Broad asked him about the timeline of his rehabilitation.
"It's a bit early to say, but I think the surgeon and the doctors were [saying] anywhere between 12 and 16 weeks from the date of your surgery is when you're looking to get back playing again, so I'll hopefully have a bat in my hand well before that," Buttler said.
"[In] January time, there's some England games in South Africa; they might come a bit too soon, but SA20 is probably a goal that is in the back of my mind.”
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Butter revealed that he won't rush his comeback and is set to miss the tour of South Africa featuring three ODIs early in January 2027.
"It [rehabilitation] is never straightforward or linear, is it? You'll probably have some really good weeks, might have a week where it pushes you back," he added.
"But I definitely don't want to rush it. There's so much cricket ahead next year, and obviously a few more years - hopefully - left of my career. If it takes me a week or two longer to get it right, I'm going to take that time."
Buttler set to play franchise cricket for months
Buttler was retained by Durban Super Giants (DSG). They begin their campaign on January 19 against the Pretoria Capitals. The SA20 ends on February 21. Shortly after, he will be playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), representing the Gujarat Titans (GT). The former England captain had a good season with the bat and is set to be retained by the franchise before they head into the mini-auction.
When will Buttler play for England again?
England's ODI series against Pakistan from May 15 to 26 is set to clash with the IPL 2027. After the conclusion of the IPL 2027, England will play a one-off Test and the Ashes at home. This means that Buttler's comeback will be in the white-ball series at home against New Zealand, featuring three T20Is and five ODIs. The series ends on September 25, nearly two weeks before England's ODI World Cup 2027 opener against Bangladesh.
Buttler sees the silver lining in his injury layoff as he gets to spend time at home with family, which will help him rejuvenate mentally.
"I'm trying to see all the silver linings of it," he said. "I've got a long period of time at home, which as cricketers we don't always get.
"Obviously it's an enforced one with an injury, which you don't want, but it's going to be really nice to [not only] spend a good block of time at home and get the hamstring right, but also have a block of three or four months of just getting refreshed mentally and really fit as well. [I will] come back stronger than when I left, that's the plan."
Who has replaced Buttler?
England have been lacking Buttler's experience in the middle order in the ongoing ODI tri-series on Pakistan soil. Jordan Cox did well at home, scoring 76 in the winning cause against Sri Lanka at The Oval. But he is yet to fire in subcontinent conditions. In the run chase of 303 in Rawalpindi, England were bowled out for 215. Jordan Cox was dismissed for 18 in the match, losing his wicket to left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas. In the next game, while batting first, he lost his wicket for a single-digit score to Haris Rauf.
In addition, captain Harry Brook is missing the helping hand of former skipper Buttler. The lack of experience was visible when Sri Lanka chased down the target of 430 against them to script history.
England are already out of contention for the ODI tri-series final. Cox will face his next challenge when England tour Australia for a white-ball series next month, including three ODIs and five T20Is.
Buttler’s ODI numbers
Buttler is currently England's third-highest run-scorer in ODIs. He has 5,678 runs from 176 ODI innings, averaging just over 39. His strike rate is highly impressive at 115.54. He has 11 centuries and 30 fifties in the format.
When Buttler returns to action on the international arena, he will also have a chance to become the leading run-scorer in T20Is. Pakistan team management has dropped Babar Azam, and he doesn't look like he’ll make a comeback any time soon.
Buttler’s chance to become top T20I run-scorer
Babar has 4,596 runs from 145 T20I innings, averaging nearly 39 and at a strike rate just over 128, including three tons and 39 fifties. Buttler is the second batter on the list with 4,384 runs from 150 innings at an average of 34.79 and a strike rate just over 150. He has two tons and 30 fifties in T20Is. He needs 213 more runs to grab the top spot.
Where is Buttler in latest ICC rankings?
Buttler is currently the fifth-ranked batter in T20Is. He moved up in the latest ICC rankings as India captain Shreyas Iyer slipped five places to ninth. But in ODIs, Buttler has seen a five-place dip. He has slipped to 44th position. Considering his continued absence from international cricket, he is likely to slip even further.
Buttler to achieve major SA20 feat
When Buttler returns to action, he will need 31 more runs to complete 1,000 runs in SA20 history. He will become the first non-South African batter to achieve the feat. From 29 innings, he has scored 969 runs at an average of 37.26 and a strike rate of 139.82. He has eight fifties, including an unbeaten 97.
Buttler to enter Warner, ABD's IPL league
Buttler needs 354 more runs in IPL 2027 to become the third overseas batter in IPL history to score 5,000 or more runs. He has 4,656 runs from 136 innings at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 149.72, including seven tons and 28 fifties. Australia's David Warner (6,565 runs) and South Africa's AB de Villiers (5,162 runs) are the other two overseas batters.