Gujarat Titans have been among the most consistent sides this season and are almost certain to make it to the next round.
While Jos Buttler will return as the IPL 2025 resumes, he might not be available for the playoffs for the Gujarat Titans (GT). GT have thus roped in Sri Lankan batter Kusal Mendis as a partial replacement for Buttler at INR 75 lakhs.
Mendis is with Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025, which will resume after a ceasefire between India and Pakistan was announced. However, the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper batter will not fly to Pakistan to participate in the remainder of the tournament.
Mendis has done reasonably well in the limited chances in PSL 2025, accumulating 143 runs at an average of 35.75 and a 168.23 strike rate in five innings. He batted in the fourth and fifth positions in the tournament and got only 17 balls to face per match on average.
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Gujarat Titans have been among the most consistent sides this season and are almost certain to make it to the next round. They are currently at the top of the points table with 16 points in 11 matches, and one more win will seal their spot in the playoffs.
While the Gujarat Titans can replace Jos Buttler with Kusal Mendis, they might not get the same consistency and quality. Buttler has formed a solid top-three for the Titans with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, scoring ample runs for the team.
He has 500 runs at an average of 71.42 and a 163.93 strike rate in 11 innings this season, including five fifties. He has been among the top three who have scored 74.58% of the team’s runs in IPL 2025.
He is mighty consistent and has the expertise to step up in big games. He has previously done well in the IPL playoffs, including a marvellous century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2022.
Meanwhile, Mendis has yet to play in the IPL and will find it hard to acclimatise to the conditions against quality bowling attacks. Further, he will play in the crucial phase where one bad decision can eliminate the team, and Mendis will be under immense pressure.
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