IPL 2022: Jos Buttler Was Too Timid In The Final: Michael Vaughan
Rajasthan Royals Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season came to a halt in the finals, where they were defeated by Gujarat Titans by seven wickets in a one-sided match. With opposing captain Hardik Pandya commanding the proceedings with the ball, the team’s choice to bat first backfired miserably, as Sanju Samson and co could only muster 130/9 in 20 overs.
Despite having a strong batting line-up that included Jos Buttler, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, Rajasthan found themselves on the back foot after Samson was dismissed with the score at 60/2 after 8.2 overs.
The middle-order was unable to survive the Gujarat assault, and they lost wickets in a flurry.
Rajasthan Royals Did Not Play With Bravery: Michael Vaughan
Former England captain Michael Vaughan thought Rajasthan’s hitters were hesitant in their approach, and he included his countryman Jos Buttler on that list.
“Rajasthan didn’t seem to play with any kind of bravery. I think they played very timidly. Hardik was excellent, he picked two key wickets, which was a huge bonus for him as a captain.
“I felt Jos Buttler was very timid. He was waiting for the bad ball and wasn’t on the front foot trying to dislodge the bowlers of the length.
“We did see one ramp shot but we didn’t see him make space and whack it over mid-off. It was almost like they were trying to play safe, trying to reach 150-160,” Vaughan said during an interaction on Cricbuzz.
“From what I saw from Rajasthan’s point of view, they were afraid to be brave and that can cost you in a final,” Vaughan added.
In reply, Gujrat got off to a rough start, but a 63-run partnership between Pandya and opener Shubman Gill helped them come close to the target, which they reached in 18.1 overs.
