Why didn’t Jos Buttler open for GT vs PBKS in IPL 2026 clash
(Courtesy : BCCI/IPL)
Jos Buttler was retained by GT in their squad for IPL 2026.
Gujarat Titans (GT) are clashing with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their opening game of Indian Premier League 2026 on Tuesday, March 31. The encounter is taking place at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to field first in the clash. Notably, Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill opened the batting for GT. Jos Buttler, who is considered one of the best openers in T20I cricket, was not preferred as an opener.
Buttler has been retained by GT for INR 15.75 crore in IPL 2026. Last season, he gave a brilliant performance by scoring 538 runs in 13 innings at an average of 59.78 and a strike rate of 163.03. He also scored five half-centuries.
Why is Jos Buttler not picked as opener by GT?
Notably, Sudharsan and Gill have been retained as openers by Gujarat for IPL 2026. Last season, they opened the batting for the side. They were also quite successful with the bat, finishing as the highest run-scorers for their team.
Sudharsan won the Orange Cap with 759 runs in 15 games. With 650 runs, Gill was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament. Hence, GT have made no changes to their opening slot and Buttler has been given the No.3 position.
Meanwhile, Sudharsan got out for 13 runs in the encounter, becoming a victim of Marco Jansen in the fourth over. Till the Powerplay, Titans reached 54 runs for the loss of one wicket. Buttler came out to bat at No.3.
Meanwhile, uncapped Indian pacer Ashok Sharma has made his IPL debut in the encounter. He has been picked by GT alongside experienced pacers Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj.
Who are the openers for GT against PBKS?
Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill are openers for GT against PBKS.
Jos Buttler is part of which team in IPL 2026?
Buttler is playing for Gujarat Titans in the tournament.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.