‘More of a cricket shot that’s evolved’ – Jos Buttler makes candid statement about his scoop six off Josh Hazlewood

Former England skipper Jos Buttler spoke to leading newspaper Times of India on the sidelines of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Buttler scored an unbeaten 73 off just 39 balls for Gujarat Titans (GT) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). One of the best shots of the IPL was his reverse scoop shot off Josh Hazlewood that went for six. 

The Times of India asked Buttler if hockey played a role in his innovative shot-making abilities. To which Buttler replied, “I did play a bit of hockey, but no, I think it's more of just a cricket shot that's evolved. You know, trying to, like I say, just deflect the ball to a big gap on the field. Obviously, if the third man is up, then you can get it over him or over the wicketkeeper.”

Buttler also went on to add, “I was always trying to work out a way of how I could play every single ball that a bowler could bowl. So, I wasn't just relying on a yorker. That's why I stood up as opposed to going down on one leg."

‘Power-hitting has similarities to baseball.’ – Jos Buttler 

During the course of his chat with Times of India. The former England skipper was asked if he has ‘borrowed’ ideas from tennis and baseball. This question was in regards to Buttler’s ability to score runs with conventional and unconventional cricketing shots. 

The 34-year-old replied, “Not directly, I would say, but I enjoy other sports. I like watching other sports. I suppose the power-hitting stuff has some similarities with baseball. But I would say, for me, I think any ball sport, you know, with an implement, say a racket or a stick or a bat, there are natural crossovers. Golf, the way someone is going to swing the club, or whatever, the bat, you know, so at the end of the day, you're still hitting a ball. And each sport has its own nuances and different techniques."

Gujarat Titans’ wicketkeeper and batter praised former Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene for his elevation as an opener in T20 cricket. Buttler said, “I've really enjoyed batting all up and down the order. In the first half of my career, I was very much a middle-order player or finisher. Actually, I owe a huge debt to Mahela Jayawardene for giving me the chance to open in T20 cricket. I had to learn how to play the power play. But once I got through the power , it felt like I was just batting as I used to anyway.”