Kusal Mendis to Replace Jos Buttler for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025 Playoffs

Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis is set to replace Jos Buttler during the playoffs of the IPL 2025. The latter has returned for the remaining league matches, however, he will fly back home for the England-West Indies ODI series starting May 29.

Gujarat Titans have already set up a backup plan for the unavailability of their star English keeper-batter. The franchise has signed Kusal Mendis to replace Buttler during the playoffs. Although Buttler will play the league matches, he will return to England before May 29.

Franchises need Contingency Plans

The suspension of the league due to Indo-Pak cross-border conflicts prompted the BCCI to revise the schedule. With the tournament final on June 3, the playoffs will clash with the England-West Indies ODI series.

Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, and Will Jacks were named in England’s ODI and T20I squads for the West Indies series. All three franchises (GT, RCB, MI) are in contention to make it to the playoffs. So all three teams need to have contingencies in place.

Kusal Mendis’s Entry in GT

As per ESPNcricinfo, Kusal Mendis is set to join Guajart’s dugout with his fellow Sri Lankan Dasun Shanaka. GT has limited wicket-keeping alternatives, with Anuj Rawat as the only other option. Therefore, Mendis is likely to get a position in the playing XI in Buttler’s absence.

Buttler played a crucial role in pushing GT forward, scoring 500 runs at an average of 71. Buttler has formed an outstanding top three with Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill and has been one of the key reasons why the Gujarat Titans are at the top of the table.

Mendis proved his batting skills in the Pakistan Premier League (PSL), where he played for Quetta Gladiators. He scored 143 runs at a striking rate of 168. In his T20I career, he has amassed 4700 runs, featuring 2 centuries and 32 fifties. This will be Mendis’s first stint in the Indian Premier League.

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