RR vs PBKS: 'Rajasthan Royals rejigged their whole order...' - Mitchell McClenaghan suggests straightforward replacement for Jos Buttler

Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffered a major setback as their opener Jos Buttler will not be available for the remainder of the ongoing IPL 2024. The England captain left the Rajasthan Royals (RR) camp on May 13, with two matches remaining in the league stage, to join his national team for the upcoming four-match T20I series against Pakistan, starting on May 22.

Buttler’s exit was anticipated as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had already informed all the players participating in the ongoing IPL 2024 that they would have to return home to fulfill national duties in preparation for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Jos Buttle returns home for T20 World Cup 2024 preparations

Buttler will lead the defending champions, England, in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, and before this mega event, they will play a T20I series against Pakistan at home. Buttler has had a mixed season, but he played a role in pushing RR for the IPL 2024 Playoffs, amassing 359 runs from 11 matches, which includes two match-winning centuries in the tournament.

His absence will be keenly felt by the Sanju Samson-led RR, especially given their current situation. Well, things won't be easier for the RR without Butler. So, the question is: who will replace the England opener in RR’s starting XI? Tanush Kotian, Kunal Jai Singh, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore are the top names to replace the England starters for the remainder of the season.

However, the former New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan opined that England’s explosive batter, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, is the straightforward swap for Buttler in RR’s playing XI. Kohler-Cadmore is a dependable right-handed batter who is known for his ability to accelerate the scoring rate during the middle overs with his stylish strokeplay.

Mitchell McClenaghan backs Tom Kohler-Cadmore as Jos Buttler's replacement at RR

Mitchell McClenaghan said on ESPNCricinfo’s ‘TimeOut’ show: “Yeah, I would say so. I think that probably needs to be the play. I know Cadmore hasn't had the best 2024 in terms of his numbers, but before that, his overall stats in T20 cricket are very, very good. He's a dynamic player. He's another one of these English batsmen that can come out and hit you 50 off 24.

He's very explosive. So, you'd like to hope that they just put that one little switch in, but we've seen in previous games when Jos was out injured, they rejigged their whole order. So, it'll be interesting to see what theory they come up with this time.”

Notably, the 29-year-old Kohler-Cadmore began his cricketing journey with Worcestershire in 2013. His standout performance came in the 2016 T20 Blast when he smashed a remarkable 127 runs off just 54 balls.

He has an impressive record in T20 cricket, having amassed 4734 runs in 190 matches, which includes one century and 34 half-centuries. The Englishman was signed by the RR at his base price of INR 40 lakh due to his talent and consistency.