MI vs RR: I Won't Be Able To Hit Shots Like Jos Buttler Even If I Start Batting Again - Aakash Chopra

Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra lauded England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler’s incredible knock for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians on Saturday at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.

Buttler displayed a fine exhibition of power-hitting to register his second century in the IPL. Buttler scored 100 off 68 balls, including 11 fours and five sixes, at a strike rate of 147.06. Buttler hammered MI pacer Basil Thampi for 26 runs in the fourth over.

MI vs RR: Jos Buttler completes 400 IPL runs against Mumbai Indians

Buttler has amassed 2103 runs in 66 IPL innings, 400 of those runs have come against Mumbai Indians at an impressive average of 80, the most against an opponent for the 31-year-old in the IPL.

MI vs RR: Jos Buttler plays very well against Mumbai Indians: Aakash Chopra

Chopra said that he won’t be able to play some of the sensational strokes Buttler plays with ease.

“My Player of the Day for the first match was Jos Buttler. Firstly, he plays very well against Mumbai and the way he plays white-ball cricket, the way he plays in 360 degrees, gladdens the heart. To be very honest from a batter’s point of view, I will not be able to hit such shots even if I start batting again,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel. 

“What a player he is and it seems he will get out now, might get stuck against the leg-spinner, he might get bowled against Bumrah but he hits a lot. He also showed intelligence in the middle, that let me go deeper because at one stage you realized that a century is loading. Jos the boss was serving it really piping hot,” he added. 

Despite the fifties from Ishan Kishan (54) and Tilak Varma (61), the five-time defending champions fell 23 runs short of the target.

Buttler was retained by Royals in the IPL 2022 players’ retention list along with skipper Sanju Samson and youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal. The England gloveman missed the second half of IPL 2021 for the birth of his second child Maggie.

Also Read: RR vs MI: My Strength Is Always Being Confident In White-Ball Cricket – Jos Buttler After His Century Against MI