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Former Australian wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist, has strongly criticized the Rajasthan Royals (RR) management for their decision to release star English batter, Jos Buttler, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Following RR’s disappointing exit from the tournament, when the team suffered a horrible 100-run defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians (MI) in Jaipur, Gilchrist shared his take on Buttler. The loss ended RR’s playoff hopes and marked a turbulent season for the 2008 champions.
Ahead of the 2025 season, RR not only released Buttler but also some other star performers of the cash-rich league, including Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult. Moreover, their woes deepened as skipper Sanju Samson suffered an injury blow, and the local talent failed to deliver for the franchise, further exacerbating their problems.
Adam Gilchrist slams RR for releasing Jos Buttler ahead of IPL 2025
Gilchrist believed that someone within the Rajasthan Royals’ management needs to be held accountable for the decision to release Buttler, which he considers ‘a monumental mistake’. The South Australian reckoned that the franchise’s elimination from the tournament is a direct consequence of this decision, and it’s likely that internal questions are being raised about the choice.
Talking to Cricbuzz Gilchrist said “We heard Mike Hussey admit that they (CSK) got it wrong at the auction, and they are out. Someone needs to be accountable for what happened with the decision on Jos Buttler. RR have got it wrong, and they find themselves eliminated as well. So, there has got to be some accountability. I would have thought certainly, internally, they have got to be asking questions. And you can’t change that now but you got to those questions. That was a monumental mistake”
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Buttler’s scintillating performances for Rajasthan Royals
Buttler, also called ‘Jos: The boss’, has been one of the best performers for IPL in this decade. Debuting for RR in 2018, Buttler has been the backbone of the Rajasthan’s batting lineup over the years. Playing for RR, Buttler has accumulated 3055 runs in 84 matches, with an outstanding strike rate of almost 150. Who can forget Buttler’s 2022 season, where he scored a whopping 863 runs with four blistering centuries.
Even this year playing for Gujarat Titans (GT), Buttler is shinning bright. So far in 9 matches for GT, Buttler has scored 406 runs with an impressive strike rate of 169, which includes four half-centuries. Batting at number 3 for his new franchise he showcasing his class and consistency. Meanwhile, RR’s predominantly Indian batting unit struggled to post competitive totals.
Notably, the Royals’ auction strategy in IPL 2025 proved to be a costly blunder. Retaining six players, including Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal, at a whopping INR 79 crore, left them with a meager purse of INR 41 crore. This forced them to release star players like Buttler, who was later picked up by Gujarat for INR 15.75 crore. Buttler thrived with his new team, while RR struggled, ultimately leading to their early exit. The franchise’s miscalculation in the auction has been widely criticized, with many questioning the decision-making process. A costly lesson for RR.
