5 Players who can replace Jos Buttler in the UAE Leg

The second half of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to resume in the UAE from September 19. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is making sure to make all possible arrangements to complete the remainder of the 31 IPL games without any stoppages. For this very reason, the BCCI has also laid out COVID-19 protocols and norms. Apart from that, the West Indies, England, New Zealand, and South Africa players are also set to be available for their respective teams.

While some of the foreign players have confirmed their availability, the others have not confirmed yet. England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Butler though will not be part of the UAE leg of IPL, owing to his wife, who is going to deliver their second baby around September-October. The hard-hitting right-hand batter plays for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL and had a great first half in India. He scored 254 runs in seven games at an astonishing strike rate of above 150.

The wicketkeeper-batter is one of the most important members of the Royals squad and his blistering starts upfront gives the franchise an early advantage. His non-presence in the Royals for the UAE leg will hamper the team composition a bit. All is though not lost for the Royals, who can pick a replacement player for Buttler. With a majority of foreign players available for selection, these are some options for the Royals that they can target ahead of the UAE leg.

Five players who can replace Jos Buttler in IPL 2021 UAE leg

1. Devon Conway

The New Zealand opener has taken the cricketing world by storm by displaying an aggressive and fearless brand of cricket. The southpaw came into the Blackcaps team on account of scoring massive runs in the domestic circuit.

He made his T20I debut against West Indies last year and since then has not looked back as he has scored 473 runs in 11 T20I innings. Royals could well look to target Conway due to his bankability at the top of the order. He could prove to be a perfect foil for their skipper Sanju Samson at the top.

Apart from scoring quick runs, Conway is also known to bat through the innings as evident by his short T20I career for New Zealand. Once set, the southpaw will not easily give his wicket away and can change gears seamlessly which can come in handy on sluggish pitches in the UAE.