IPL 2021: 5 Players who can replace Jos Buttler in the UAE Leg

The second half of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to resume in the UAE from September 19. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is making sure to make all possible arrangements to complete the remainder of the 31 IPL games without any stoppages. For this very reason, the BCCI has also laid out COVID-19 protocols and norms. Apart from that, the West Indies, England, New Zealand, and South Africa players are also set to be available for their respective teams.

While some of the foreign players have confirmed their availability, the others have not confirmed yet. England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Butler though will not be part of the UAE leg of IPL, owing to his wife, who is going to deliver their second baby around September-October. The hard-hitting right-hand batter plays for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL and had a great first half in India. He scored 254 runs in seven games at an astonishing strike rate of above 150.

The wicketkeeper-batter is one of the most important members of the Royals squad and his blistering starts upfront gives the franchise an early advantage. His non-presence in the Royals for the UAE leg will hamper the team composition a bit. All is though not lost for the Royals, who can pick a replacement player for Buttler. With a majority of foreign players available for selection, these are some options for the Royals that they can target ahead of the UAE leg.

Five players who can replace Jos Buttler in IPL 2021 UAE leg

1. Devon Conway

The New Zealand opener has taken the cricketing world by storm by displaying an aggressive and fearless brand of cricket. The southpaw came into the Blackcaps team on account of scoring massive runs in the domestic circuit.

He made his T20I debut against West Indies last year and since then has not looked back as he has scored 473 runs in 11 T20I innings. Royals could well look to target Conway due to his bankability at the top of the order. He could prove to be a perfect foil for their skipper Sanju Samson at the top.

Apart from scoring quick runs, Conway is also known to bat through the innings as evident by his short T20I career for New Zealand. Once set, the southpaw will not easily give his wicket away and can change gears seamlessly which can come in handy on sluggish pitches in the UAE.

2. Alex Hales

Alex Hales comes with a reputation of being an absolute game-changer at the top due to his ability to change the complexion of the game within few balls. Be it for England or T20 league cricket across several countries, Hales just plays in one gear-the top one.

Overlooked continuously by the ECB management and selectors, the right-hand batter has gone to feature in Big Bash League (BBL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL) to showcase his batting might for the respective franchises. In the last BBL, he scored 543 runs in 15 innings and was easily the best batter for Sydney Thunder.

Hales has also featured in six IPL games for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He last played an IPL game in 2018 and the Royals could lock in Hales as a replacement to his fellow Englishman Buttler due to his vast experience in T20 cricket.

3. Colin Munro

‘Gutted’ was the word used by the New Zealand opener Colin Munro after he found out that his name was missing from the squad of 2021 T20 WC. The southpaw was once ranked as the number one batter in T20I but lost out due to poor form and injury.

And now he even finds his place missing due to players like Conway, Tim Siefert, and Finn Allen, emerging as top contenders for the opening role. Munro is finding it hard to come back to the team. He is currently playing the Hundred and was seen in god form.

With a relatively free window, Munro can look to play for the Royals at the top of the order. He has played 13 IPL games for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC). Although Munro has scored only 177 runs in 13 games, the Royals can look out for him due to his aggressive batting at the top-order and his vast experience in the shortest format.

4. Evin Lewis

The West Indian opener first made an impression in the IPL for Mumbai Indians in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Although he could not set the stage on fire, the southpaw showed a glimpse of his talent by taking the attack on the opposition. Known to strike big and be lethal at the top, Lewis comes with a strong reputation and runs across his belt.

In 45 T20Is for West Indies, he has racked up 1318 runs at a stunning strike rate of 158.03. With Samson playing the sheet anchor’s role, the southpaw can look to score big in the powerplay and give the Royals the flying starts up front, just as Buttler did.

Lewis can also bat through the innings and can accelerate when the situation is apt either while chasing or by posting totals in the first innings. Also, UAE pitches will suit his style of play more since he likes the ball coming to the bat and enjoys playing the spinners.

5. Josh Inglis

Well, this name might surprise a few, but not those who have been following BBL and Inglis for a long time. Ricky Ponting spoke highly of the youngster and, it was due to his unorthodox strokeplay and style of batting. He made telling contributions for Perth Scorchers in the past few BBL seasons, by giving the team an early advantage at the top.

He first made an impression by scoring 1137 runs at 68.88 for Joondalup during the 2014-15 season. And for Scorchers, he has scored 941 runs in 41 games at a strike rate of 143.44. If Royals want to look out for some unknown property, then they can very well go with the 26-year-old.

He can also be used as a wicketkeeper in few games if Samson wishes to relinquish keeping for few games in the UAE leg of IPL. Royals are currently placed fifth on the points table.