Jos Buttler may be walking a fine line, but Gujarat Titans assistant coach Aashish Kapoor believes the England star is just one innings away from rediscovering his best. Kapoor backed the veteran opener, stressing that players of Buttler’s caliber will inevitably bounce back, even after difficult phases.
Buttler’s recent form has come under scrutiny after a disappointing T20 World Cup 2026 campaign where he managed just 87 runs in eight innings. He also had a slow start to IPL 2026, scoring 38 off 33 balls in GT’s opening loss to Punjab Kings. Ahead of their clash with Rajasthan Royals, Kapoor expressed confidence in Buttler’s ability to turn things around.
“He is a top player and there is no doubt about that. I think you have no doubt about that either. Yes, he had a bad 1-1.5 months which can happen to any player and it has happened to most top players including Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli who have had such patches. But these players always come back.”
“He must be really eager now because such players are very proud of themselves to do well. You could see him batting in the last game as well, trying to apply himself and wanting to declare that he is back in form. It is a question of one innings for such players to come back to form and I think he is on the right track so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Buttler’s struggles come despite his stature in white-ball cricket. He remains England’s top run-getter in T20Is, with 4037 runs in 155 matches, and was a key figure for Gujarat Titans last season, scoring 538 runs in 14 matches during IPL 2025.
With GT facing Rajasthan Royals, the focus will once again be on Buttler to deliver. Rajasthan come into the game with momentum after a commanding win over Chennai Super Kings, while Gujarat will be looking to bounce back from their opening defeat.
HOW CAN BUTTLER RESTORE HIS FORM IN IPL 2026
For Buttler, IPL 2026 is more than just another tournament. It’s a chance to reset after a tough international stretch and reassert his place as one of the premier white-ball batsmen in the game.
A strong IPL could not only help him regain his confidence but also strengthen his position in England’s T20 setup going forward. As Kapoor pointed out, players of Buttler’s pedigree often only need one defining innings to shift the momentum and with the tournament still in its early stages, time remains firmly on his side.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
04 Apr 2026 11:28 IST
