IPL 2021: "I put a lot of responsibility and expectation on myself" - RR's Jos Buttler

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have struggled to get going in IPL 2021 so far. Apart from the win against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in their second outing, Sanju Samson's side have fired blanks in the rest of the matches. As a result, they are at the bottom of the table and have several issues that must be addressed.

One of the main problems for RR is the absence of key players. Ben Stokes injured his hand in the first match and had to pull out of the tournament. His England teammate Jofra Archer has also been ruled out of IPL 2021 after undergoing surgery on his finger.

However, their absence provides an opportunity for other players to step up and deliver, according to Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler. Speaking to the media ahead of the game against Kolkata Knight Riders, Buttler admitted that he likes to perform under pressure, and that responsibility brings out the best in him.

“I put a lot of responsibility and expectation on myself. I want to perform to the best of my ability for my team. Of course, we’re missing a few key players at the moment but that provides opportunity to myself and provides opportunity to others. We must relish that,” said Jos Buttler.

Jos Buttler was part of the England squad that toured India and played matches in all three formats just before IPL 2021 began. When asked about his time in India, Buttler said:

“I’ve been enjoying it. I’ve obviously been here for a while with the England team before the IPL as well. Hopefully, we’ll get a good performance today [against KKR] and get the winning ball rolling for the Rajasthan Royals.”

"He has a great smile and he's fun to be around:" Jos Buttler on Chetan Sakariya

Buttler has been with RR since 2018 and is one of the senior players in the dressing room. He revealed how energetic and excited the Indian youngsters are about playing in the IPL and it’s something that he likes to absorb as well.

“The [dressing room] chat is great. Everyone loves playing in the IPL, none more so than the young Indian players. It’s the best place for them to grow and for them to learn. We’ve got some exciting young talent in our dressing room," said Jos Buttler.

I really enjoy spending time with them and working with them and being inspired by their energy and passion to play cricket. It’s a great learning curve for all of us and for some great younger players in the team,” said Buttler when asked about the dressing room rapport.

Jos Buttler also admitted that young pacer Chetan Sakariya has impressed him the most this season. Buttler praised the young Indian pacer's bowling skills and attitude and revealed that Sakariya is 'fun to be around.’