IPL 2019: Rajasthan Royals star Jos Buttler looking to emulate Virat Kohli's mindset

Sudhir Gupta 20:17 20/03/2019
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  • Jos Buttler (l) and Virat Kohli (r).

    Jos Buttler is ready to embrace the ‘chaos’ once again as he prepares for his 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with Rajasthan Royals.

    It was his 2018 IPL showings which kickstarted an England resurgence for Buttler with the right-handed batsman forcing his way back to the Test squad and subsequently establishing himself as a mainstay.

    Buttler’s limited-overs form since last year’s IPL has been exceptional as well with the Englishman coming into the tournament on the back of a 77-ball 150 against West Indies in the Caribbean recently.

    “You have to deal with that chaos. It might be the timings of things. It might be training’s not perfect. We’re very lucky in England: everything’s very structured. But in India you have to deal with chaos, and I think that helps dealing with expectation,” Buttler told the media at London prior to his departure for India.

    “Being an overseas player is a new experience as well. You’re one of four, rather than one of 11. Someone like (MS) Dhoni is coolness personified most of the time.

    Buttler has a terrific 2018 IPL campaign. Image - RR/Twitter.

    Buttler has a terrific 2018 IPL campaign. Image – RR/Twitter.

    “A lot of the time, it’s making sure you show that externally, even if you’re not on the inside. And a lot of trust in your ability, that allows you then to let your subconscious take over in the middle.”

    With the ICC World Cup in England just two months away, players will be wary of peaking too early ahead of the tournament. Buttler, however, does not believe in the notion of peaking as a batsman and is instead looking to emulate India skipper Virat Kohli’s mindset.

    “The idea of peaking isn’t really an idea that sits naturally in my mindset. Sometimes you hear people talking about going to another level. Why can’t you just stay at peak level,” he said.

    “Someone like Kohli scores a hundred every game. He doesn’t think: ‘Ah, that was okay, I’ll peak at some point’. Just do it every day. That’s the sort of mindset I’ve been wanting to hit,” Buttler continued.

    Buttler joined Royals last year and had in indifferent start to his campaign before turning it around sensationally after being promoted to open the innings. In his 13 appearances for Rajasthan in 2018, the Englishman aggregated 548 runs at an average of nearly 55 and a strike-rate of over 155.

    Buttler and Rajasthan Royals will open their IPL 2019 campaign on March 25 with a home clash at Jaipur against Kings XI Punjab.

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