IPL 2018: Ben Stokes & my show vs Sunrisers Hyderabad shameful - Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler, Rajasthan Royals player, says he and Ben Stokes should have taken extra-responsibility in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which they lost by 11 runs

cricket Updated: May 01, 2018 20:57 IST

Rajasthan Royals’ Ben Stokes (L) and Jos Buttler have failed to fire in unison in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018.(AFP)

Much has hinged on Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to carry Rajasthan Royals in the middle overs. But the English duo hasn’t fired in unison, causing Royals to falter and not finish on a high. Stokes, the most expensive buy at the 2018 IPL auctions, has scores of 5, 16, 27, 14, 45, 40 and 0 while Buttler is yet to cross 30.

With the team fifth in the table and still in with a decent chance to make it to the playoffs, Buttler said it was matter of individual responsibility that every player, including him and Stokes, need to realise. “It just comes down to individuals. We haven’t quite performed in the middle as we would have liked,” said Buttler ahead of their match against Delhi Daredevils.

Apart from two matches, Stokes is yet to justify his Rs 12.5 crore price tag. One of the best all-rounders of our time, Stokes however never really had a great T20 career. He is yet to score a fifty in internationals and averages a measly 14.76. Still, a lot was expected from Stokes.

“Myself and Ben Stokes really expected ourselves to come in and play that role. That was probably the biggest shame for us in the last game,” said Buttler, referring to their 11-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, chasing 151 at home. “I haven’t given an account of myself that I should have. And that’s disappointing. A lot of it comes down to individual accountability.”

Fielding too has been one of the areas where Rajasthan Royals have fallen short of expectations. “We haven’t quite played to our potential. We have got a second half of the tournament to try and amend that. Fielding is a huge part of the game and we have been guilty of missing chances. That’s definitely an area where we need to improve on, get ourselves up on the table and be more consistent,” said Buttler.

With team mentor Shane Warne at the helm, Rajasthan Royals will be expected to engineer a turnaround against an opponent who haven’t had the best of tournament so far. “We stay tight as a group. It might take one slice of luck to kickstart the tournament. We are still in a position where we can play good cricket and qualify for the later stages,” he said.