Dubai: England batsman Jos Buttler will miss the opening game of Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 as he is still under quarantine period with his family following COVID-19 protocols.
Buttler was a part of England’s limited-overs series against Australia, after the ODI series finished he arrived in Dubai on Thursday (September 17). “I am really looking forward to the IPL. Obviously, I had some cricket with England this summer which has been nice to get outside and play again. Exciting to see IPL getting started last night, Chennai getting a win. Sam Curran hitting a couple of sixes that was good to watch. I have been telling Tom (Curran) to hit more sixes for the Royals than Sam does for Chennai,” Buttler said during an Instagram live chat on the Royals’ handle.
“Unfortunately, I am going to miss the first match because I am gonna be under my quarantine period as I am here with my family. It is great that Royals have allowed me to have my family here,” he added.
Commenting on his teammate all-rounder Ben Stokes’ availability for the tournament, Buttler said he is expecting him to join the squad at ‘some point’ in the tournament. “Hopefully (he will return), I think Ben (Stokes) is taking some family time at the moment. Hopefully, he will be able to join us at some point in pink,” Buttler said.
The wicketkeeper-batsman further said he is looking forward to opening the innings for the Jaipur-based franchise in the tournament but he is also ready for adjusting his position according to the match situation. “I like opening the batting in T20s but of course I am very happy to bat anywhere the captain and coach want me to play,” he further added.
Rajasthan Royals will kick off their campaign of IPL 2020 first game against three-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Tuesday (September 22) in Sharjah, UAE. CSK defeated Mumbai Indians by five wickets in the opening match on Sunday (September 19).
