In a massive development that would come as a huge setback for the Rajasthan Royals, Jos Buttler has pulled himself out of the second part of the IPL 2021 due to family commitments. The Royals revealed that Buttler and his wife are expecting their second child and hence he will be unavailable for the marquee event.
The Royals were already reeling under the absence of Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, and Jofra Archer in the first half of the tournament that was postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis in multiple teams. Now, Buttler’s absence will strip them off from a reliable match-winner with the bat.
The franchise has signed up New Zealander Glenn Phillips as his replacement for the remainder of the event starting on September 19 in the UAE.
Phillips has been a force to reckon with in the shortest format for the Blackcaps and the Royals will be hoping he will carry his form from his country to the UAE.
The Royals have managed to win only three games out of the seven games they played before the tournament was halted and Buttler’s absence will only hurt their prospect of making it into the playoff.