Harbhajan Singh sings Jos Buttler praises after Eden Gardens masterclass

Jos Buttler and Harbhajan Singh. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL and Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

In the 31st match of the ongoing IPL 2024 at the Eden Gardens on April 16, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) registered a stunning comeback to overcome the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by two wickets. All thanks to a sensational unbeaten century from wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler which helped RR to register their sixth win of the season.

KKR had posted a huge total of 223/6 on the board, courtesy of Sunil Narine’s magnificent maiden IPL ton. In response, RR seemed to be down and out at 121/6 after 13 overs. However, Buttler held firm at one end and single-handedly took his team over the line with an unbeaten 107 off just 60 balls.

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This was the best match of the ongoing IPL season: Harbhajan Singh

Requiring 46 runs in the last three overs, Buttler hit four gigantic sixes and two boundaries to pull off a chase that looked impossible at one stage. Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh reserved high praise for the England limited-overs skipper and RR opener.

“This was the best match of the ongoing IPL season for me. Buttler’s knock only served to reinforce the saying that if you keep believing in yourself, anything is possible,” Harbhajan said on his official YouTube channel.

Departing from his typical aggressive approach, Buttler chose to settle in and grow into his innings, before shifting gears in the latter half of the chase. After the dismissal of Rovman Powell, who smashed 26 off 13, Buttler took the responsibility upon himself to finish the job.

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“He was uncharacteristically slow at the start and took some time to grow into his innings and find momentum. The fall of wickets around him affected his momentum. After Powell’s dismissal, the onus was on Buttler to face and make the most of the final 20 balls. You rarely get to see knocks like this. This was an inning that would live on in the minds of cricket fanatics worldwide. It would surely stay with me,” Harbhajan added.

In the first innings, the Knights had posted a grand total, with Narine enjoying smashing the experienced RR spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal. Harbhajan weighed in on the reasons behind the spinners’ struggles.

“Ashwin didn’t bowl a single ball into the stumps. He kept most of his deliveries wide which was the reason that he conceded so many runs. Both bowlers are well-known for their skill sets but there was not much thinking or planning that went into their bowling on the day,” he concluded.