Having missed the second half of IPL 2021 in UAE, Rajasthan Royals' (RR) star batter Jos Buttler has arrived in India for the IPL 2022 season with a sense of excitement and belief.
Speaking ahead of the T20 league, the England wicketkeeper said, "Anytime you turn up in India for the IPL, there's this sense of excitement and a real buzz around the tournament, so it's great to be back in the country."
"It has become my second home. I've spent a lot of time here, and the friendliness of the people and the passion for cricket always tends to blow my mind away," he added.
Jos Buttler was one of the three players besides Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal to be retained by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2022 mega-auction.
"There were only a certain number of players that could stay with the franchise so it was quite flattering to have been offered to be retained. I've always enjoyed playing for this franchise and have had some really enjoyable memories."
"Obviously I knew the franchise had placed their trust in me, along with Sanju and Yash (Yashasvi Jaiswal). There were a lot of conversations that happened before the auction, and we were just focused on trying to create a strong team, covering all bases that you need to win the tournament."
"Another aspect was how brilliantly my family and myself have been looked after - it is quite rare, so I'm really thankful to everyone here (at the Royals)," he expressed.
Commenting on the Royals' squad for IPL 2022, Buttler said, "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," he further remarked.
Buttler is excited to meet his new teammates like Yuzvendra Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal and also looking forward to guide the youngsters.
"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."
"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."
It will be Buttler’s seventh season in the IPL, wherein he has amassed 1968 runs at a strike rate of 150.
"My role as a senior player is to try to give the other guys 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 minutes of conversation with someone would go a long way, and I would love to help the younger guys in the same way," he said.
Rajasthan Royals will open their IPL 2022 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 29.
(With ANI inputs)
