“I'm also looking forward to connecting with a lot of people, especially Chahal. I've played against him a few times, and he seems to be that fun character in the team. So, I'm looking forward to having him on my team," said Buttler in an official release issued by Rajasthan Royals.
“There's also Padikkal, who scored a hundred against us last year. I think he looks like a fantastic young player so I'm excited to have him here," he stated further.
Having played 65 matches in his six seasons in the IPL, and scored 1968 runs at a strike rate of 150, Buttler has steadily transformed into a senior pro in the team, and is looking forward to that role.
“My role as a senior player is to try to give the other guy's confidence. It's to transmit a very free-spirited mindset, and act as a sounding board for young players. It's important for them to be fearless, and to just embrace the opportunity.”
“I remember when I was a young player, just having that five minute of conversation with someone would go a long way, and I would love to help the younger guys in the same way,” he added.
Commenting on the Royals' squad for 2022, Buttler stated, “It's a really exciting time for the team you know, to start a new cycle and build a new team. The aim here is to win the IPL, and I can't wait to contribute to that.”
“We are delighted to have so many great players in the squad. Obviously, Ashwin and Chahal are two of the best spinners in the world, and with a great pace attack, I think it's really exciting. Then we've got ourselves a strong batting line-up, along with great all-round options, so I think it's going to be a really exciting IPL for us,” added the 31-year-old.
Rajasthan Royals will play their first match against SunRisers Hyderabad. It would be interesting to see how Buttler gets along with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.