Jos Buttler says he 'owes huge debt' to Mumbai Indians legend for career-defining chance: ‘Had to learn how to play...’

Jos Buttler started out as a middle order batter in his first ever IPL season while playing for the Mumbai Indians before being promoted to the top next year

Jos Buttler's status as one of the greatest openers ever in the history of limited overs cricket is pretty much set in stone now, although he has moved to No.3 a few times in recent years. However, he started out much lower in the batting order and it is in his second year in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that Buttler got a chance to play week in, week out as an opener.

Jos Buttler played for MI in 2016 and 2017. (BCCI)

Buttler was first made an opener by the Mumbai Indians, the first IPL team he played for, at the start of the 2017 season - his second year in the league. He said that he owes a debt to MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene for giving him that chance.

“I've really enjoyed batting all up and down the order. In the first half of my career, I was very much a middle-order player or finisher. Actually, I owe a huge debt to Mahela Jayawardene for giving me the chance to open in T20 cricket. I had to learn how to play the powerplay. But once I got through the powerplay, it felt like I was just batting as I used to anyway,” Buttler is quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Jayawardene was newly appointed as MI's head coach that season. Himself considered among the greatest batters of all time, Jayawardene led the franchise to the title that year and then to consecutive titles in 2019 and 2020. Buttler said that he liked how he could play two different roles as an opener. "So yeah, it's nice to be able to marry the two styles. Obviously, if you can get through the powerplay and then play freely, you can really impact the game.

“Playing at number three is a new role for me. I did it a bit with England in the last few months. But yeah, I'm just trying to use all my experience and look at the scoreboard and play what is required. You know, obviously, you can see what the openers are doing and if the ball is swinging, or if it's a really good wicket, or whatever. And then, yeah, I could be in the first over, or I could be outside the powerplay. So, I just wait and see and react to how I need to play,” said Buttler.