"IPL 2021 will be brilliant preparation for the T20 World Cup" – Jos Buttler

England’s stand-in skipper Jos Buttler believes that the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) will play an important role in the preparation for the T20 World Cup, which will be played in India later this year.

England came close to winning the tournament in 2016 before West Indies’ Carlos Brathwaite ruined the party by smacking Ben Stokes for four sixes in the final over.

On the eve of the third and final ODI against India at Pune, Jos Buttler addressed the press and emphasised the importance of the upcoming IPL ahead of the 2021 T20 World Cup.

“To an extent, this year’s IPL will be most important. I have played a number of IPLs. I have gotten used to the conditions, having played a lot of cricket here. Playing in probably one of the biggest T20 competitions in the world with the best players would be brilliant preparation for the World Cup," said Jos Buttler.

Buttler, who will join the Rajasthan Royals camp in Mumbai a day after the final ODI against India at Pune, also talked about getting ready for the IPL.

“After this game, we travel to Mumbai to join up with Rajasthan Royals squad. Our first game is not until the 12th. There is a little bit of downtime between now and then, so we can have some time away from the game and refresh ourselves," said Buttler.

“There are challenges about bubble life and those kinds of things and it is about managing those things. The IPL is a huge tournament and I'm really excited to play in it. It gives you a lot of energy, just the thought about playing in this tournament," added Buttler.

The BCCI and the IPL franchises have been great in making this possible: Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler thanked both BCCI and his franchise the Rajasthan Royals for looking after the players’ welfare and allowing families to travel with them.

“The Rajasthan Royals have been great again in assisting me with having my family here for the IPL. Last time, they were there in Dubai as well. The franchises and the BCCI have been great in making this possible. It’s all complicated at the moment, but having families around is a big plus,” said Jos Buttler.

Jos Buttler has been one of the stars of the IPL in recent seasons. Having played 58 matches over the past 5 editions of the tournament, he has amassed 1,714 runs at a strike rate of almost 150.

The 𝐁𝐎𝐒𝐒. 🔥🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿@josbuttler will captain England in the final two ODIs, with Morgan ruled out.#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/YGbUvfzH5K

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 25, 2021

IPL 2021 begins on April 9th, with the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore clashing in the season opener. The Rajasthan Royals will play their first game against the Punjab Kings on April 12th.