Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler on Sunday, November 3 penned an emotional note after being released by his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The inaugural champions of the cash-rich league retained their core of six players, including captain and wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson.
While Sanju Samson was the top pick, retained for INR 18 Crore, Yashasvi Jaiswal (INR 18 Crore), Riyan Parag (INR 14 Crore), Dhruv Jurel (INR 14 Crore), Sandeep Sharma (INR 4 Crore) and Shimron Hetmyer (INR 11 Crore) were the other retentions ahead of the IPL 2024 mega auction. Notably, the West Indies power-hitter was the only overseas retention for the Royals.
Most cherished memories have come in a Pink shirt: Jos Buttler
Buttler, who has been a key figure in the pink was released by the franchise as confirmed on October 31. This move by the franchise came as a big surprise as he has been the mainstay of RR since 2018. Taking to his official Instagram handle, the wicketkeeper-batter confirmed that his “most cherished memories have come in a pink shirt” with the Royals.
"If it turns out that this is the end, thank you Rajasthan Royals and everyone involved with the franchise for 7 incredible seasons together. 2018 kickstarted the best years of my cricketing career and many of my most cherished memories have come in a Pink shirt over the last 6 years. Thank you for welcoming me and my family with open arms. Could write so much more but let's leave it there,” Buttler captioned the post.
It is to be noted that the 34-year-old scored 359 runs from 11 matches in IPL 2024 at a strike rate of 140.78 and average of 39.89. He smashed two centuries in the previous edition, helping the franchise seal close victories. Moreover, it is to be seen that none of the England cricketers were retained by the IPL franchises ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction.
