SPORTS

KKR vs RR: Top Performer: Jos Buttler

By LAXMI NEGI
April 19, 2022 14:00 IST

IMAGE: Jos Buttler celebrates his century of the IPL 2022 season. Photograph: BCCI/IPL
 

Jos Buttler's dream season got better after he hammered the quality KKR attack with a magnificent hundred to power Rajasthan Royals to an imposing 217 for five.

The England batter smashed his second IPL century this season to power Royals to the highest total of this edition and also strengthened his grip on the Orange Cap.

Buttler (103, 61b, 9x4, 5x6), who made a match-winning 100 against the Mumbai Indians earlier this month, quickly changed gears after a cautious start in the first two overs.

Showing cricketing brains, Devdutt Padikkal gave Buttler bulk of the strike and that changed the course from the third over of the match.

IMAGE: Jos Buttler strengthened his grip on the Orange Cap. Photograph: BCCI/IPL

Buttler put on a 97-run opening stand with Devdutt Padikkal, who hit a brisk 24, and then got going with RR Skipper Sanju Samson, who smashed 38 off 19 balls.

Umesh Yadav was erratic as Buttler lofted him for a four and a six off successive deliveries.

The floodgates opened after that as he toyed with Varun Chakravarthy, whom he hit for a six by rocking back and having enough time to send him into the orbit.

The Englishman took on the KKR bowling and hit Pat Cummins for a four to bring up his fifty and smacked the Australian pace bowler for six to reach his 100 in 59 deliveries as he raised his bat.

He fell to Cummins three balls later and walked back to a standing ovation at the Brabourne stadium. His innings was laced with nine fours and five sixes, some of which landed into the adjacent tennis courts of the Cricket Club of India.

Buttler became only the sixth player in IPL history to score multiple centuries in the same season.

LAXMI NEGI / Rediff.com

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