IPL 2024: 'I always keep believing, that was key,' says Jos Buttler

Rajasthan Royals` Jos Buttler celebrates after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Pic/AFP

Rajasthan Royals' star Jos Buttler on Tuesday said he never lost self belief during his match-winning hundred here and took a leaf out of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli's books on how to achieve targets from adverse situations.

Buttler, who missed RR's last game against Punjab Kings due to an injury, single-handedly pulled off IPL 2024's biggest chase while overwhelming Kolkata Knight Riders' 223 for 6 in the last ball of the match, remaining unbeaten on 107 off 60 balls. He was struggling to even walk towards the end but didn't give up. "Keep believing, that was the real key today. I was struggling a bit for rhythm. At times you feel frustrated or you are questioning yourself. I tell myself it's okay, keep going, you'll get your rhythm back and try to stay calm.

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"There's been plenty of times throughout the IPL, you've seen crazy things happen. Guys like Dhoni and Kohli, the way they stay till the end and keep believing and I tried to do the same," Buttler said at the post-match presentation. The Englishman also credited RR's Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara for enhancing his self belief.

"That's something Sanagakkara has told me a lot - there's always a breaking point," he said. "The worse thing you can do is to not fight and give your wicket away. He (Sangakkara) just tells me to stay there and at some point, the momentum will change. That's been a big part of my play over the last few years." He termed Tuesday's knock as his best IPL innings. "I would think so (best IPL innings). Very satisfying." RR skipper Sanju Samson said Buttler is a special player and when he is on song, no target is safe.

"Very happy with the win. We were wondering like the wickets we lost. Rovman (Powell) hit a couple of sixes and that's when we felt like we were in the game. Some luck also, they also played really well. The quality of spin they had, they bowled really well. This ground suited them. "Jos (Buttler) did what he does for us in the last 6-7 years, so happy for him. It (Buttler's knock) should go right on top. Being an opener, if he gets in, no runs are unchaseable. He does something special," he said. KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer said it was a bitter pill to swallow for his team.

"I would second that actually (bitter pill to swallow), emotions were a roller coaster, certainly didn't think we will get into this situation. "It's a funny game at the end of the day, he (Jos Buttler) was striking the ball cleanly and timing them so well, have to take it on the chin and move on," Iyer said after the two two-wicket loss.

(With agency inputs)