"And they said Jos Buttler will outscore Virat Kohli!" - Fans troll Buttler, Samson for slow batting against KKR in IPL 2022

Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson were among the Rajasthan Royals (RR) batters who struggled to time the ball for a large part of their IPL 2022 innings against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday. The pitch was two-paced and the slower balls and cutters from the KKR bowlers gripped, making it difficult for the batters to put them away.

Buttler has arguably been Rajasthan's best batter this season. However, he was slow to get off the blocks and didn't make the most of the powerplay, knowing that it would only get tougher to bat as the ball got softer.

Sanju Samson scored his half-century in just 38 balls but struggled with a potential back injury towards the end of his innings. A late flourish from Shimron Hetmyer gave the Royals a fighting total of 152/5 in their 20 overs.

However, fans on Twitter slammed Jos Buttler and Samson for not cashing in on better batting conditions. Here are some of the reactions:

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Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson didn't have the best day at the office with the bat

RR once again got off to a slow start as Devdutt Padikkal's poor form continued. Sanju Samson did come to the crease and play a few shots, but Jos Buttler struggled for timing at the other end.

The English star had struggled in a similar fashion in their previous game against Mumbai, but made up for it by hitting four sixes off four balls. However, that wasn't the case this time as Buttler was dismissed by Tim Southee for just 22 off 25 deliveries.

Karun Nair, too, couldn't make an impact and soon perished, bringing Riyan Parag to the crease. The 20-year-old once again showed flashes of what he is capable of if given some time at the crease as he smashed a four and two sixes in a handy cameo of 19.

But Samson continued to struggle at the other end and consumed 49 balls for his 54 runs. Hetmyer's lusty blows at the end have ensured that RR have something to bowl at on a tricky pitch.

KKR have already lost five on the bounce and will need to play the RR bowlers smartly, especially spinners. Overall, this has the makings of another close game.