Harbhajan praises Butler after his sensational century against the Knights

New Delhi: Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was full of praise for England limited-overs captain and Rajasthan Royals opener Jos Buttler after his sensational century in the thrilling final that brought the table-toppers over the line. -Ball chase against Kolkata Knight Riders. In perhaps the most thrilling clash in the ongoing IPL season, the Royals chased down the joint-highest score in the history of the tournament at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. For once, moving away from his typical slam-bang approach, Buttler decided to settle down and carry on with his innings while keeping his team at par with the asking rate. However, after the dismissal of Rovman Powell, who thrilled the house at Eden with his power-hitting in a useful cameo, Buttler decided to open, realizing that he was running out of partners. Till the 11th over of the Royals’ innings, Buttler scored at a strike rate of 132, but in the next nine overs, he changed gears and finished the chase with an unbeaten 107 runs at a strike rate of 178.33. The league leaders were going to be hell for leather, needing 46 runs off just 18 balls, with Buttler hitting four skyscraper sixes and two fours to help the Royals achieve a huge feat.

In a match where the momentum was swinging back and forth like a pendulum, the 33-year-old Englishman played an innings for the ages that surprised not only RR fans but also the Turbanators. “This was the best match of the current IPL season for me. Buttler’s innings served to reinforce the adage that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible. He was unnaturally slow in the beginning and had to It took some time to get his innings going and the onus was on him to take advantage of the last 20 balls as wickets fell. “This will definitely stick in the minds of cricket fanatics around the world,” Harbhajan, who was nicknamed ‘The Turbanator’ during his playing days, said on his official YouTube channel.

In the first innings, the Knights scored the second highest score in IPL history with the help of swashbuckler Sunil Narine’s maiden IPL century. Facing the attack from southpaw Narine, Royals’ experienced spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal combined for 103 runs in 8 overs. Chahal took one wicket while Ashwin did not get any wicket. Harbhajan took note of why Narine misbehaved with Ashwin and Chahal. “Ashwin didn’t bowl a single ball into the stumps. He kept most of his balls wide, which was why he gave away so many runs. Both the bowlers are known for their skill, but there wasn’t much thinking or bowling,” Harbhajan said. “There was a plan in his bowling that day.” (ANI)