'He’s a top player' - Jos Buttler gets huge backing from GT coach amid poor form

Published - 04 Apr 2026, 17:49 IST | Updated - 04 Apr 2026, 17:55 IST

Gujarat Titans’ (GT) assistant coach Aashish Kapoor has shown complete trust in Jos Buttler to put his poor form behind him and show his true self at this season’s Indian Premier League (IPL). This comes before the 2022 champions take on the Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday, April 4.

Buttler’s form heading into the IPL has been below par based on his lofty standards. The wicketkeeper-batter scored just 87 runs from eight matches at the 2026 T20 World Cup at an average of just 10.87.

Kapoor, however, has no doubts about Buttler’s quality and reckons the current bad phase is just a blip, which can happen to the best of the players in the world.

“He’s a top player, and there’s no doubt about it. I don’t think you people doubt that either. Yeah, he had a bad 1–1.5 months, which can happen to any player, and has happened to most top-class players, including Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who had such patches. But these players always come back,” Kapoor was quoted as saying on NDTV.

The 35-year-old did show glimpses of his previous self against the Punjab Kings in their opening game, scoring 38 off 35 balls, an innings which had three fours and two sixes.

“Now, he must be really eager because such players have great pride in themselves to do well. You could see the way he batted in the last match as well, trying to apply himself and wanting to make a statement that he’s back in form. It’s a matter of one inning for such players to return to form, and I think he’s on the right path, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” he added.

I have ambitions to continue playing for England: Buttler

Buttler has been one of the greatest overseas players to grace the IPL. Last season, his first in GT colours, he went on to score 538 runs at an average of 59.77 whilst striking at 163 to help his side finish third in the standings.