Mumbai: Englishman Jos Buttler blasted his third century of the IPL 2022 for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Capitals and in the process, set a plethora of records.
His stupendous knock of 116 off 67 deliveries and a 155-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal (54) helped Rajasthan Royals post a massive 222/2 in 20 overs, the highest total thus far in this season. This was also the highest total ever posted by Rajasthan Royals in IPL.
The 31-year-old from Taunton became the first batter to score three centuries in IPL 2022, taking his overall tally of centuries in IPL to four, joining David Warner and Shane Watson in the list of players with the most centuries in the T20 league. Chris Gayle has six tons and Virat Kohli has five.
Buttler, who scored his first hundred of IPL 2022 against Mumbai Indians and second against Kolkata Knight Riders a couple of days back, is on course to equalling Kohli’s record for most hundreds in the same IPL edition — the four tons the Royal Challengers Bangalore batter struck in 2016. Buttler needs one more hundred in IPL 2022 to equal Kohli’s record.
He also became the second-ever batter in IPL history to hit centuries in back-to-back matches, joining India opener Shikhar Dhawan, who had done that while playing for Delhi Capitals in 2020.
Buttler now leads the race for the Orange Cap in IPL 2022 with 491 runs in seven innings at a brilliant average of 81.83. And what is amazing is that he has scored his runs at a superb strike-rate of 161.51. Besides the three centuries, he has scored two half-centuries this season.
His partnership of 155 with Padikkal on Friday against Delhi Capital was the highest for the opening wicket this season and the highest so far for any wicket for Rajasthan Royals surpassing the 152-run unfinished partnership between Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson at Abu Dhabi in 2020.
Buttler, who was one of the players retained by Rajasthan Royals, seems to have started off from where he left in the last edition — a 128 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at New Delhi in 2021.
Buttler has scored a sensational 615 runs in his last eight innings in the IPL, including four centuries and two half-centuries.
His string of scores reads 128, 35, 100, 70*, 13, 54, 103, 116 — a brilliant display of batting by any standard, especially in an unpredictable format like a T20.
–IANS
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