Buttler managed just 19 runs off 23 balls while batting at No. 4 in the final against RCB.
Put to bat first, GT posted 155/8 on the board, with Washington Sundar (50* off 37 balls) and Nishant Sindhu (20 off 18 balls) being the only batters to touch the 20-run mark.
Chasing the target, RCB rode on Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75 off 42 balls to get over the line with two overs to spare, securing their second consecutive IPL title.
After the loss, the Titans' management, particularly head coach Ashish Nehra, is facing severe scrutiny for their tactics, specifically the decision to demote Jos Buttler down the batting order.
Josh Hazlewood drew the first blood for RCB by removing Shubman Gill in the third over, and one expected to see Buttler coming out at No. 3. However, the GT think tank decided to send youngster, Nishant Sidhu at one down spot and this move backfired, with the left-hander being dismissed for just 20 runs off 18 balls.
Former England pacer Stuart Broad also slammed the GT management for changing Buttler’s batting position in the all-important final.
Batting at No. 4, the English wicketkeeper managed just 19 runs off 23 deliveries with one boundary.
“Buttler batted at 3 throughout the tournament. And then came the final, batting first, he moved down to bat at 4. I can't get my head around why you changed the role in the final. Even AB de Villiers said it was a defensive move,” Broad said on ‘For the Love of Cricket' Podcast.
“Buttler dropping down was surprising as it's not like he's not exposed to the new ball, having opened so much for England. It does seem slightly curious. The only rationale behind the move was the think tank feeling the pitch was going to get better and have the guy at No.3 to just stay at the crease until the wicket got better for batting, allowing Jos to catch up and do his thing,” he added.
Gill and Sai Sudharsan made history in the IPL 2026 season by becoming the first opening pair from the same team to each score 700+ runs in a single edition.
Broad noted that because the top-order batters shouldered the vast bulk of the run-scoring burden, GT’s middle order was left underprepared to handle high-pressure situations when it mattered most.
However, Broad reckons that with both batters scoring this number of runs, the middle order went undercooked into the final.
"The problems of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan each scoring over 700 runs were seen in the final. When your openers are this consistent, it doesn't give your middle order much exposure under pressure. And when you need them, they might not be able to drag you over the line. Both openers failed today, and immediately, the thought was they were done," Broad remarked.