Jos Buttler, the Rajasthan Royals’ opening batsman, displayed remarkable skill in handling pressure situations with his match-winning century against Kolkata Knight Riders. The Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata was the venue for this thrilling IPL 2024 encounter on April 16th.
In a tough chase of 224, the Rajasthan Royals continued losing wickets at regular intervals, stifling their momentum. However, Jos Buttler remained calm at one end and took the game deep by playing wisely in the opening part of the second innings. Riyan Parag helped him for a spell with a crucial cameo of 34 (14) before falling in the eighth over.
After reaching his half-century in 36 balls, Jos Buttler altered gears in the second part of the innings. He scored his next 57 runs in only 24 balls to seal the deal for RR.
Things grew tight near the finish when Buttler was playing with bowler Avesh Khan, forcing him to farm the strike. As a result, the match came down to the final ball, with one run required.
Jos Buttler found a space in the midwicket zone with a heave against Varun Chakaravarthy and scored the winning runs. Celebrations erupted in the RR camp when the batsmen finished running the single, which was the greatest chase in IPL history.
You can watch the final moments of the match in the below:
Jos Buttler’s Belief Key to Match-winning Century in RR vs KKR IPL 2024 Showdown
At the post-match presentation, RR opener Jos Buttler spoke about his attitude throughout the chase, saying:
“I kept believing and that was the real key today. My rhythm was off but whenever the negative thoughts came, I kept thinking the opposite. I kept the belief and at times, you feel frustrated and keep questioning but I stayed calm throughout. Plenty of times throughout the IPL, funny things happen.”
Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler added:
“Crazy things can happen and it’s all about believing in yourselves. Kumar Sangakkara has taught me one thing – There is a breaking point to everything. He tells me that you could lose your wicket but one shot would get you going and I always wanted to stay on course. It’s very satisfying to stay till the end and see the team go through.”
Jos Buttler
RR will next meet the Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 22 in Jaipur.