He made 38 off 33 against Punjab Kings.
Jos Buttler showed signs of returning to form in Gujarat Titans’ opening game of the IPL 2026 against Punjab Kings. It wasn’t a great knock, however, as they lost the match in Mullanpur by three wickets. His knock came under scrutiny, with fans and experts pointing it out as one of the reasons for their defeat.
The Englishman made 38 runs in 33 deliveries as Gujarat Titans managed only 162 on the board, falling 15 short of the par score. Buttler struck three fours and two sixes but largely struggled to time the ball. But more than the lack of form, the bigger question is whether his T20 template has become outdated.
Jos Buttler was the best T20 batter in the world during 2020 to 2022. In these three years, he amassed over 3,100 runs in the format, averaging an excellent 43.79 while striking at 147.12. Six of his eight centuries in this format came during this period. He hit a boundary every 4.88 balls and crossed the fifty-run mark every 3.18 innings.
Since 2023, he has not been the same batter that opponents feared. While his strike rate has remained the same, his average has gone down to 36.33. There have been signs of his game regressing but his template has remained the same. So what is this template?
Buttler took the leaf out of Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard’s playbook, and mastered it for years. It’s a style of batting where you play out the biggest threats from the opposition bowling attack, and take down the weaker links. It has been a highly successful method for Buttler as he bats in the top order, and gets to choose his targets while anchoring the innings. Most teams do not have more than two high quality bowlers, which also goes in his favour.
But the game is moving rapidly, especially in the IPL where the pitches have been extremely flat in the last couple of years. The average innings scores have shot up and 200 has become easily chaseable at most venues. If you’re not getting 70 runs in the first six overs, it is considered a bad powerplay.
With the scoring rates skyrocketing, this method of playing out good bowlers and targeting only the weaker links might not be enough anymore. That does indicate Buttler needs to reinvent his game in this IPL 2026.
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Gujarat Titans reached the playoffs last year with a unique set-up compared to other nine teams. They went with a top-heavy batting unit, with the bulk of the runs scored by Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Buttler. It’s the same strategy this year as well but can their top three replicate what they did last season?
𝗔𝗶𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁! 🚀
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2026
🎥 A superbly-timed jump from the @PunjabKingsIPL player to grab a stunner! 🫴
Wicket No. 2⃣ for @yuzi_chahal ☝️
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/75rCxTCOL1#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #PBKSvGT pic.twitter.com/gGxRtVmq5F
Buttler had a disastrous campaign in the T20 World Cup, where he managed only 87 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 116. Titans have the weakest middle order in the league, and they can not rely on it. Which means they would not have minded Buttler taking his time yesterday to find his form.
The weak middle order is one reason why his usual template might still have value, especially on tricky surfaces. For Titans to go deeper in the IPL 2026, it is vital that Buttler performs at his best, perhaps with a slightly tweaked template.
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