Flamboyant England and Rajasthan Royals (RR) batsman, Jos Buttler, opened up on his fascination with the great Mahendra Singh Dhoni, saying the former India captain's ways with the bat have "always resonated with me".
Buttler has been a huge admirer of Dhoni, currently leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2020 and takes inspiration from how he has been able to retain his calm and take his team home under extreme pressure in white-ball cricket over the years.
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"I like his demeanour on the field," Buttler told Times of India in an interview. "How cool and calm he is. I like his explosive batting, the helicopter shot. I always watched the IPL on TV. I remember some of the great innings he has played."
"One thing I really love is the 2011 World Cup final. How he walked out to bat and said I am going to see this home. That was inspiring and the way he finished the game with a six. It always resonated with me."
During the interview, Buttler also spoke of how he deals with pressure himself and the criticism that generally tends to follow the moment an aggressive batsman like him fails.
"I want to maximise every ball whether am starting an innings or at the end of the innings. I try to focus on productivity. If a bowler bowls a good ball, can I still find at least one run. We all want to stay in for as long as possible. It's down to an individual to adapt."
"I found it tough at times when people assume you should play in a certain way in a Test match because you are an attacking batsman. If you want to attack then you should commit to it."
The IPL, of course, has been a vital cog in Buttler's development as a player. The right-hand batsman himself recognises how the league has benefitted him immensely when it comes to dealing with the expectations around him.
"It's taught me to deal with the chaos," he said. "Media commitments, photo shoots and lots of extra things other than cricket. But eventually, you got to know that cricket's got you here."
"If you want them, you got to be good at your cricket. 2015 was the toughest period when I got dropped after the Ashes. 2018 was my best phase when I scored for Royals and got my place back in the Test team. I played some of my best cricket after that."
"Price tag adds to the expectations. It's another skill you have to learn. The best players can put that aside and focus on the ball coming to you."
"When Ben Stokes and me bat together, we are just concentrating on the ball. We don't really think of outside expectations. I don't try bat in one way and try playing the situation," he added.
Buttler entered the bio-bubble for the ongoing IPL after a busy international summer within strict COVID-19 protocols. Now as the season in UAE nears its close, the schedule will again test his physical and mental resolve with the multiple winter tours ahead. Asked whether the prospect of same weighs him down, he said such are the uncertain times, he best likes to take it day by day.
"If you look at anyone in the world right now whether they are involved in professional sport or elsewhere there's a huge amount of uncertainty. It makes it very hard to plan. You can stress yourself out thinking about your future and spending a lot of time in the bubbles."
"It's really up to you to look after yourself. The England and Wales Cricket Board has been good in dealing with mental health. There has to be open and honest conversations. If you are finding it tough to cope with the bubble and want to leave, then it has to happen," he added.
