Jos Buttler has had a disappointing start to 2026. He struggled during the T20 World Cup and could not score freely. His form has continued in the IPL 2026 while playing for Gujarat Titans.
The England wicketkeeper-batter has scored 38 against Punjab Kings and 26 against Rajasthan Royals. These are decent starts but not big scores. Gujarat Titans are still looking for their first win this season.
Despite this, Buttler is confident. He believes he is close to returning to form. He is focusing on his basics and trusting his experience.
“I feel good actually. Feel good with the break after the [T20] World Cup, just get to put the bat down and have some space. Basically, just focusing on myself, and on my set-up and making sure when the ball is released I am in a good position – which I do,” said Buttler on For the Love of Cricket podcast.
“And then just trusting my game, trusting my experience, and trying to let it happen. I’ve got in some good positions, like getting in with a couple of starts. You always want to go on and make those match-winning contributions, but it’s nice to be feeling calm in the middle and in a good space. Hopefully that can keep that going,” he added.
Jos Buttler stays focused on process
Buttler said he is not thinking about the past. He wants to stay in the present and move forward.
“Every day you start on nought and that’s kind of where I’ve been looking at. Just looking forward, not thinking of the past, looking forward to the games, and just trying to be measured and not reading too much into past successes or past failures,” said Buttler.
“Sometimes you can – and I have certainly done it at times – get sort of a mental block against a certain bowler or a certain venue, and say ‘this doesn’t work for me, this ground.’ Or ‘why can’t I score runs at any ground’ or that kind of mentality. I’m trying to be really distant from that,” he added.
Buttler has also enjoyed working with batting coach Matthew Hayden. He said their conversations have been simple and helpful.
“It’s been great to lean into his experiences. He’s a big man, you can just imagine his presence when he was batting, but when he’s speaking one-to-one, that aura is quite good. Getting to experience that has been cool. We’ve been talking about really simple things,” said Buttler.
Gujarat Titans will next face Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Buttler is expected to bat at No. 3, behind Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan.
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