"That's How You Win": Harbhajan Singh's Swipe At Riyan Parag After Jos Buttler's Rescue Act
While lauding RR star Jos Buttler's heroics against KKR, Harbhajan Singh criticised Riyan Parag for failing to make his start count.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR) clash belonged to Sanju Samson's side, thanks to a scintillating performance by Jos Buttler who scored an unbeaten ton to take his team home. Though the Royals emerged triumphant in the end, it wasn't all smooth for them in the middle, with Buttler finding it tough to orchestrate a partnership in the middle. The England star did find partners in the form of Riyan Parag and Rovman Powell for brief periods but had to do most of the job himself.
Seeing Buttler battle cramps and doubts to take the team through, former India cricketer Harbhaja Singh doffed his hat to the Englishman, saying he should be celebrated by the cricketing fraternity just as some Indian players are.
In his praise for Buttler, Harbhajan also held criticism for Riyan Parag who scored 14-ball 34 but failed to convert his start into a big knock.
"He (Buttler) is a special player. He is a different-level player. He is calm and composed. Whenever he got the chance, he hit sixes, fours and grabbed singles and doubles. When the other players are getting out, it is important to hold your batting and play your own game. A lot of youngsters need to learn from Buttler's innings. Riyan is a talented player. He scored 34 runs but this is how matches are won. You need to be there, you need to hold the fort," Harbhajan told Star Sports.
"This is not the first time @josbuttler has done this, he had done it before and will continue to do so"
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 16, 2024
| Watch @@harbhajan_singh and #AmbatiRayudu discuss how Buttler paced his innings and targeted the bowlers perfectly to pull off the highest-ever successful #IPL chase… pic.twitter.com/OJvrUaQqJV
As Buttler completed a classic chase in T20 cricket, Harbhajan hailed the wicket-keeper batter's consistency.
"You have that clear mindset to play which shot to play against which bowler. This is not the first time Jos Buttler has done it. He has done this several times and I am sure we will see him do this a lot more time in the future as well. He is one of the legends of the game," the former spinner said.
Rajasthan Royals
Kolkata Knight Riders
Jos Buttler
Harbhajan Singh