Jos Buttler looks to renew his IPL journey with Gujarat Titans following a challenging T20 World Cup performance.

Jos Buttler is optimistic that taking time off after a disappointing T20 World Cup will allow him to reset as he prepares for a new season with the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League later this month.

The former captain of the England cricket team received continued support despite facing a prolonged slump during the tournament in India and Sri Lanka, a rare downturn for one of England’s most consistent white-ball batsmen.

In his role as an opener, Buttler scored only 87 runs in eight matches, averaging 10.87 with a strike rate of 116. England’s journey ended in the semifinals after a high-scoring defeat against the India national cricket team in Mumbai.
The 35-year-old believes that the time he took away from the game after the semifinal on March 5 will benefit him as he heads into the IPL starting March 28.

“I was completely distanced from cricket, which was ideal for me at that moment. It was precisely what I needed,” Buttler shared on the ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast.

“Clearly, the tournament didn’t go as well personally as I had hoped. I felt the need for some space from cricket, not to think about the game, and that week provided the perfect escape,” he stated.

The Gujarat Titans, winners of IPL 2022, will kick off their campaign on March 31 with an away match against the Punjab Kings.

Buttler expressed that the break was revitalizing and provided him time for reflection.

“It was incredibly refreshing; I truly enjoyed it—a complete release,” he remarked.

“Gradually, I’d say at the beginning of this week, I’m starting to reflect a little and think about what matters to me and my cricket, and why things possibly didn’t go as I would have liked.” Buttler noted that his struggles during the T20 World Cup weren’t due to a lack of effort; leading up to the semifinal against India, he spent extensive time in the nets trying to regain his form, but ultimately had another shaky performance with just 25 runs off 17 balls.

“There are factors (to what went wrong) that I honestly can’t pinpoint exactly. Despite my best intentions, hard work, and efforts to perform, it just didn’t come together, and sometimes that’s okay as well. That’s something I’ve come to understand. It wasn’t for the lack of trying; it just didn’t fall into place,” he explained.