IPL 2024: 3 Players who can replace Jos Buttler in RR squad for upcoming matches

Jos Buttler. (Source -IPL/BCCI)

Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffered a heavy blow ahead of their last two league matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Star batter Jos Buttler left the camp on Monday (May 13) as England gear up for a four-match T20I series against Pakistan starting on May 22. His departure was already known as the England and Wales Cricket Board asked players to report for national duty to prepare for the ICC T20 World Cup.

Buttler will lead the defending champions in the marque event, which is scheduled to take place in the USA/West Indies from June 2. Although the opening batter has been inconsistent this season, he has been a crucial factor for the Royals. He has scored 359 runs from 11 matches, including two match-winning hundreds.

His absence will certainly hurt Sanju Samson and Co. given their current situation. Although RR are currently second on the points table, they need to win one more game to officially qualify and another win to secure a top-two spot in the league stage. Notably, they have now lost three matches in a row.

Here are three players who can replace Jos Buttler in RR’s remaining IPL 2024 matches:

3. Kunal Singh Rathore

Kunal Singh Rathore. (Source -Twitter/X)

Kunal Singh Rathore gained the attention of the Rajasthan Royals management with his impressive performances in the Ranji Trophy. He has been playing for Rajasthan in the domestic circuit since 2022 and RR didn’t hesitate to invest in him.

A hard-hitting and stylish left-hander, Rathore was acquired for his base price of INR 20 lakh in the IPL 2024 auction. The 21-year-old has scored 254 runs in 12 T20 matches, including a half-century.

2. Tanush Kotian

Tanush Kotian. (Source -Twitter/X)

Tanush Kotian is another option available for RR in the squad. The young Indian cricketer is Mumbai’s dependable player in the domestic circuit. He was acquired by Royals in IPL 2024 at his base price of Rs 20 lakh as a replacement for Australian spinner Adam Zampa.

Notably, earlier this season, RR surprised everyone with the decision to send this 25-year-old to open batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in their match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) when Buttler was sidelined due to an injury. The experiment was unsuccessful as he fell for a cheap score. But it wouldn’t be surprising if Kotian comes in to open the innings in the remaining matches of the series.

1. Tom Kohler-Cadmore

Tom Kohler-Cadmore. (Source -Twitter/X)

Tom Kohler-Cadmore, aka TKC, can be a like-to-like replacement for Jos Buttler. Although his main strength is in the middle-order, he is a versatile batter and can fill the void left by his compatriot in the opening slot. He is a solid right-handed batter, who can easily accelerate in the middle overs with his elegant strokeplay.

The 29-year-old started his career at Worcestershire in 2013. What dragged him to the attention of the cricket fraternity was a superb 54-ball 127 in the 2016 T20 Blast. TKC has scored 4734 runs in 190 T20 matches including one century and 34 fifties. He was signed by the Royals in the IPL 2024 auction at his base price of INR 40 Lakhs.