NEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans assistant and batting coach Parthiv Patel expressed his delight after the 2022 IPL champions secured England’s ODI and T20I captain Jos Buttler during the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. Gujarat Titans spent a staggering Rs 15.75 crore to acquire Buttler on Sunday, and Parthiv believes the explosive wicketkeeper-batter is the perfect fit for multiple roles within the team.
Buttler, known for his blistering opening performances in T20s and exceptional wicketkeeping skills, also captained England to their 2022 T20 World Cup triumph.
“We have just picked the squad. We have not finalised the playing eleven yet. Jos Buttler brings a lot of experience. He has played many IPL games, and that was the idea behind bringing him in,” Parthiv told TimesofIndia.com in a virtual press conference from Jeddah on Monday.”With someone like Jos Buttler, we know the kind of skills he possesses. Plus, we always needed someone at the top of the batting order like him—an experienced wicketkeeper who also leads his country. We believed Jos Buttler was the best player to fill that role. He can open the batting or bat at number three or four. Additionally, he has proven leadership skills as a T20 World Cup-winning captain. There are many qualities to admire in Jos Buttler,” he said.
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“We needed a wicketkeeper and a player with experience, someone who can bat anywhere from No. 1 to No. 4, and Jos perfectly fits that role. He is one of the leaders of the team,” the former India cricketer added.
Alongside Buttler, GT will have Anuj Rawat and Kumar Kushagra as wicketkeeper-batters for IPL 2025.
After Hardik Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title in 2022 and a runners-up finish in 2023, moved to Mumbai Indians in 2024, the captaincy was handed over to Shubman Gill.
Under Gill’s leadership, Gujarat Titans endured a challenging season, finishing eighth on the points table with five wins and seven defeats in 14 matches.
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“I have not interacted with Shubman Gill much right now. Once the camp starts, I definitely will. Having all-rounders in the team helps both ways – bowling and batting. But once we start our camp, we will sit and plan things accordingly,” Parthiv said.
‘ISHANT PART OF GT’S PLAN’
GT have also invested in a robust pace attack, bringing in Ishant Sharma, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, and Prasidh Krishna, which Parthiv highlighted as a strategic move.
“If you look at our pace attack now, they all are great bowlers who can hit the deck. That’s exactly what our plan was. So we’re quite happy with the outcome.”
“Main thing is you don’t get lots of experience that easily. Plus, Ishant Sharma bowled well in the IPL last year, and you always want an experienced bowler. He’s bowled so well for India and has been playing for a long time. So, he can be useful for other players as well,” Parthiv concluded.
