Jos Buttler had a rough start in Gujarat Titans' match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Right in the first over, bowled by Mohammed Siraj, he dropped a simple catch of Phil Salt. Since Salt is known for explosive starts, this mistake could have been costly. Understandably, Buttler, Siraj, and GT captain Shubman Gill looked frustrated. Without delay, Buttler raised his hand to apologize to Siraj, who appeared disappointed.

Siraj had delivered a length ball that bounced higher than Salt expected. As Salt charged forward, he edged the ball straight to Buttler. However, instead of securing the catch, Buttler let it slip from his gloves.

Fortunately for Gujarat, Siraj did not let Salt take advantage of his second chance. In the fifth over, he bowled him out, knocking over his stumps. Immediately, Buttler ran up to Siraj and hugged him, relieved to see the damage minimized.

More Struggles Behind the Stumps

However, Buttler’s struggles did not end there. In the 10th over, Rashid Khan bowled a deceptive googly to Liam Livingstone. As Livingstone tried to flick the ball, he lost balance and yorked himself. This gave Buttler another easy stumping opportunity. Unfortunately, he failed to gather the ball cleanly on his first attempt, missing a golden chance.

Buttler Feels "Embarrassed" and Compares Himself to Herschelle Gibbs

Afterward, Buttler admitted feeling "pretty embarrassed" about dropping Salt’s catch. Comparing his mistake to Herschelle Gibbs’ infamous error in the 1999 World Cup, he said,

"I don't know, pretty embarrassed. We know Salt is a dangerous player. I barely got a glove on it, and it hit me in the chest. The only thing I could think of was trying to celebrate early like Herschelle Gibbs."

Buttler Redeems Himself with the Bat

Determined to make up for his mistakes, Buttler played a match-winning knock. He smashed an unbeaten 73 off just 39 balls, guiding Gujarat Titans to victory. In the 18th over, he hammered three sixes, sealing the chase in only 17.5 overs.

After the match, Buttler reflected on the team’s performance. "Really enjoyed it. Felt the bowlers did a fantastic job. If we fielded better, myself included, we would have chased less. Nice win and well deserved. There was a bit in the wicket, so the two openers played sensibly to take the sting out of that and set up the chase. Tried to play with freedom and intent - had a few months of unenjoyable cricket, trying to give my best and excited to be here. We have got a lot of bases covered - fantastic seam-bowling unit, the spinners, and a fantastic batting unit as well."

Ultimately, Buttler turned his disastrous start into a heroic finish, proving why he remains a match-winner.