What came as a big blow for the IPL 2024 table leaders Rajasthan Royals in the clash against the Punjab Kings was that first-choice picks Jos Buttler and R Ashwin were not available for the match. RR skipper Sanju Samson informed that Buttler was not 100 per cent fit for the game at toss.
“We’ll bowl first, it looks like a decent wicket to bowl first. We’ve made a target to not think about the goal, focus on the process, work on building the team and we’re doing well. A lot of challenges outside as well, we’ve many players missing from tonight’s game. 90% of the game was good – Jos isn’t 100%, Ash bhai is having a niggle, so Rovman and Tanush Kotian come into the XI,” said Samson after winning the toss. (IPL 2024: Why Punjab Kings Captain Shikhar Dhawan Is Not Playing PBKS vs RR Match?)
Rajasthan Royals (RR) teammates Jos Buttler and Trent Boult revealed some of their favourite TV shows, actors they would like to play their characters in a biopic and some Indian Premier League (IPL) and cricketing favourites ahead of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) clash at Mullanpur taking place on Saturday.
RR and PBKS will lock horns at Mullanpur on Saturday. RR is at the top with four wins and a loss and their winning streak was ended by Gujarat Titans (GT). PBKS is in the eighth spot with two wins and three losses. They lost their previous match to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
In a fun Q/A session before the game, Buttler revealed the actor he would like to play his character in a biopic, he said, “Shahrukh Khan.”
The English wicketkeeper-batter asked the Kiwi pacer that what was the last thing he searched on his phone, to which Boult hilariously replied, “Trent Boult dismissing Jos Buttler.”
On being asked about his craziest fan interaction, Boult remarked that Indian fans are pretty crazy with their favourite players.
“It is just selfies, waves and blowing kisses, which is weird,” he added.
Buttler was asked about one show that he could binge-watch for life and the English star revealed that it would be ‘Friends’, a popular American sitcom from the 1990s featuring actors Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, late Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.
Trent Boult also revealed that right-hand batter KL Rahul, currently representing Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL, is his favourite Indian player. Buttler, on being asked about the best cover drive, said that “I would say Virat Kohli.”
The Kiwi pacer Boult revealed that his favourite IPL dismissal would be his 100th wicket in the tournament, which turned out to be Virat from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
On being asked about a batter from the past he would like to dismiss, Boult said, “I would like to get a piece of Kevin Pietersen (former England batter).
Boult revealed that he would be a postman if he was not a cricketer.
On being asked to choose between England’s ‘Bazball’ style of cricket and his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal’s style of cricket, popularly known as “Jaisball” since the Test series against England, Buttler sided with the latter.
“It was sad to see him score so many runs (in the series against England). But as a Royals player, it was impressive,” said Buttler.
Boult crowned Indian and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pace veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the “best new ball bowler.”
On one current IPL cricketer Buttler would like to have in RR, the batter replied, “Rashid Khan (currently playing for GT).”
