Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith hailed Jos Buttler after a crucial seven-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings on Monday. Buttler played an astonishing 70-run knock off 48 balls, laced by seven fours and two sixes in Abu Dhabi. Rajasthan are now placed at fifth position on the points table with four wins in 10 games.
Apart from Buttler, Rajasthan's spinners also played an integral role in the massive win as they held CSK's batsman from playing big shots. Shreyas Gopal took a wicket for just 14 runs in four overs, while Tewatia scalped one for just 18 runs in his quota of overs.
Smith said the wicket was not easy for batting and heaped praises on the spin duo for their dominating show.
"Sharjah is a little different from here. The wicket was stoppy, wasn't easy for batting. Strange game but nice to be on the winning side. I thought we bowled pretty well in the powerplay and the spinners did a good job in the middle with their leggies and googlies and squeezing. Shreyas last two years has been sensational for us and Tewatia this year whether batting, bowling or fielding, has done the job," Smith said in the post-match presentation.
On Buttler's incredible innings, Smith said that the wicketkeeper-batsman took the pressure off him at the other hand. Buttler shared a match-winning 98-run stand with Smith, who played a second fiddle to him with 34-ball 26 runs.
"Buttler's innings took the pressure off me at the other end. It was a really good innings on a wicket that wasn't the easiest. [The LBW review] no I didn't know I'd edged it! Jos said he heard it and some guys off the field too," Smith concluded.
