Jos Buttler On Turning Down T20 League Offers And Importance Of Work-Life Balance
How much cricket is too much cricket? Jos Buttler says it depends entirely on the individual and their ability to say "no" at times to some T20 franchise league offers, which helps in finding the perfect work-life balance
How much cricket is too much cricket? Jos Buttler says it depends entirely on the individual and their ability to say "no" at times to some T20 franchise league offers, which helps in finding the perfect work-life balance. Come September, Buttler, one of England's finest white-ball wicketkeeper-batters, will turn 36, but he is still managing his white-ball career for England while also plying his trade as a sought-after T20 smasher for the 11th successive season in the cash-rich Indian Premier League. (RCB vs SRH IPL 2026 Live Updates)
It will be his second season with Gujarat Titans.
So has he reached a stage where he might have to choose between club and country?
"I am just trying to be very present with my stuff and just be where my feet are. Look at what's in front of me and play accordingly. Obviously, the IPL is the thing right now," Buttler told PTI during an exclusive interaction ahead of the team's first match against Punjab Kings on Tuesday.
For Buttler, it is important to know one's professional and personal priorities and then take an informed call.
"After a period of time, you reflect and say, okay, where am I at with my career? What's important to me? Obviously, I only play white-ball cricket for England. So I have a calendar now that I feel I can manage relatively well," said Buttler, one of Gujarat Titans' batting mainstays.
"Alongside the franchise stuff, there are things I've turned down to spend time at home because that's very important to me. I need to maintain energy, relationships and that kind of thing," the genial T20 World Cup-winning former England skipper said.
Right now, there are far too many T20 leagues happening, and Buttler thinks that the "onus is also on the players, to be honest, to be disciplined enough to sometimes say no to something." Saying 'no' to a few leagues isn't that difficult, he reckons, and it only helps players attain peak performance in whichever competition they play.
"It is very easy. There's so much cricket, there's so much opportunity. I think, as a player, you need to be at the top of your game when you go and give yourself to your team, whether that's international or franchise.
"So making sure you have enough energy for everything that you're doing. And that will be independent and individual to certain players."
Managing outside noise is a big challenge
While Buttler has seen highs in the England shirt, having led them to a T20 World Cup triumph at the MCG in 2022, he endured a horrible 2026 edition in India and Sri Lanka, tallying a meagre 87 runs in eight games.
He admits that one of the biggest challenges for an international cricketer is building a safety net against outside chatter.
"Obviously, you need to be playing well technically and mentally. You need to be in a good space with the cricket and work on things. But actually, one of the biggest challenges is dealing with the outside noise.
"And also your own expectations and your own comparisons against what you believe you're capable of. That's always the challenge - not allowing that to overshadow playing the game and being free, and having the freedom to walk out there with your bat and look to score runs.
"I've been playing for a long time now. There have been different times in my career when you're actually learning the same lesson over and over again."
It is also about the world we currently live in, feels the player, who has played 57 Tests, 199 ODIs and 154 T20Is for England.
"And it's a world now where there are more eyes on the game than ever before. There's more opinion. So you just have to insulate yourself from that."
For insulation, one needs a trustworthy circle of people around oneself.
"You have a tight-knit circle of people that you trust, take advice from and ask for advice from. Outside of that, it's just trying to quieten the noise and play."
Shubman is an authentic human being
For the past two years, Buttler has been with the Titans under Shubman Gill's leadership, and he has thoroughly enjoyed his time under a man whose biggest hallmark is being "authentic and staying true to his character".
"I've really enjoyed working with Shubman. He's very authentic and himself, which I think is one of the greatest hallmarks of really good leaders," Buttler said.
"I'm sure he'll have learned a hell of a lot over the last year, obviously captaining Gujarat for a few seasons. He's now captain of India and I'm sure he will have learned many different things.
"So I think that's a credit to him - that he's just his own person. He's doing it his way. The captaincy is obviously working well for him, and I'm looking forward to playing under his leadership again this year."
As a former international captain, Buttler never hesitates if he feels he has some input for his skipper.
"Communication works both ways. I'm very happy if the captain comes to me asking for advice or my opinion. But I've always been a person and a player that, if I've got something to say or share, I will say it.
"So I would go and tell Shubman that this is my idea or this is what I'm seeing - and then he can take it or leave it," Buttler concluded
Gujarat Titans
Jos Buttler