Shashwat Kumar was present in Mumbai to witness an extraordinary Jos Buttler innings – the kind of knock that has become dangerously common for a cricketer – who could well have transformed into the finest T20 batter currently on the planet.

Long before IPL 2021 began, Buttler had cast himself as an indispensable commodity in the shortest format. He had begun opening only a few seasons ago but had already built an excellent reputation, having smashed a combined 1,187 IPL runs between 2018 and 2020. Overall, there were no T20 hundreds though, and although it isn’t the only metric to judge, the fact that others had stacked up impressive big scores meant that there was still a question mark whether Buttler was, perhaps, the best T20 opener in the world.

There had also been murmurs citing his inability to rotate strike against spin and dominate. In his early coming as an IPL opener, in particular, he lost momentum in the middle overs and would seldom capitalise after a brisk start.

All of those doubts, however, dissipated when he creamed a sumptuous ton against the SRH in April last year. Since then, the wicket-keeper has reeled off two more three-figure scores – one against Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup in 2021 and another against the Mumbai Indians at the DY Patil Stadium in just his second game of IPL 2022. Both knocks were filled with strokes that make Buttler stand out from the rest. More importantly, both essays were sprinkled with elements that made critics doubt Buttler, and, of course, aspects that place the wicketkeeper in a league of his own, especially in the shortest format.

On Saturday, the Rajasthan Royals got off to a nervy start. Buttler, who was up against Jasprit Bumrah, looked a little scratchy at the start and played and missed a couple of times. At 13-1 inside 3 overs, most batters would have tried to consolidate and build towards a platform. Not Buttler. The fourth over went for 26 runs, with Buttler launching three sixes off seamer Basil Thampi.

Almost instantly, though, he acknowledged that he needed to buckle down and not be too gung-ho, considering RR were playing a batter less. He could’ve easily gone for the jugular, struck a few more boundaries, and risked being dismissed. But he paced his innings perfectly. And that is perhaps this approach that has had a big say in becoming the best T20 opener on the planet.

Buttler has been superb in T20s since 2021

Since the start of 2021, Buttler has the fourth-best average (52.15) among all batters to have scored a minimum of 500 runs. He has played for England, Manchester Originals, and Rajasthan in the period, tackling high-quality bowling attacks. During this phase, only Devon Conway (55.33), Mohammad Rizwan (59.65), and Prabhsimran Singh (56) average more than the Englishman. None, however, strikes at more than 137. Buttler, in contrast, scores at more than 141 runs per 100 balls.

He has also struck three hundreds, more than any other batter on the planet in T20 cricket in this period. His overall numbers (including not as opener) dip a little, but an average of 45.52 and a strike rate of 139.9 shouldn’t really be scoffed at. The most refreshing change, though, has been the way he has gone about his business of late. He seems to have understood how to pick and choose his moments to attack, especially against spin, initially identified as his problem area. Since 2021, he strikes at a tick over 136, which is considerably better than his overall strike rate against spin – 130.88.

Even in T20Is, the overall numbers have undergone an impressive upward curve. After two disappointing calendar years in 2017 and 2018, Buttler turned into a beast 2020 onwards – averaging 48.50 and 65.44 in the last two calendar years, with eight fifties and one century. The strike-rate has stood at an impressive 150.77 and 143.30 respectively.

Back to the century against Mumbai. Leggie Murugan Ashwin was in the middle of a tidy spell, but Buttler still chose his deliveries, caressing a neat six over extra cover, following it up with a reverse-sweep. Even against Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup, Buttler waited for his moment before pouncing. Before Bumrah’s brilliance stopped him, he gave a fine exhibition of his T20 batting tempo, and what the approach was rewarding him. Three T20 tons inside twelve months is a testament to it.

There is probably no doubting that Buttler is the best T20 opener in the world. When considering what Buttler is capable of, though, and how he can bat differently in different phases, a case could also be made that he is currently the best T20 batter on the planet.

An ideal T20 batter is expected to score runs consistently and do so at a good enough tempo. Buttler seems to have been doing that in the past fifteen months. A top-drawer T20 batter must also have scoring options against various types of bowling. Buttler can reverse-sweep, he can paddle sweep, he can scoop, he can hit sixes over extra cover and he can go over the bowler’s head. So, he really ticks that box too.

An elite T20 batter is also expected to shift through the gears when required and take a backward step if that is what the circumstances warrant. While Buttler is a naturally aggressive batter, he, despite his Test struggles, can hold his own against hostile attacks. And, he reads the game situation as excellently as anyone playing the sport.

Is Buttler, then, the best T20 batter on the planet?

Buttler really seems to be surging ahead of those competing with him for that coveted tag. He might not have as high an average as Rizwan but he has a much better strike rate. David Warner and Rohit Sharma can be as belligerent as Buttler but they aren’t as consistent as the Englishman. Virat Kohli, in his peak, produced similar numbers but he’s been a shadow of his former self in recent times.

So, this discussion only leads to one outcome – an outcome that portrays Buttler as the best T20 batter on the planet. Those who watched him in the flesh against MI, would not even question that notion. Those who didn’t might cast a skeptical eye but the numbers Buttler has produced, make that argument moot as well.

In fact, the wicketkeeper has been so irresistible that displays such as the one on Saturday seem routine for him now. It gets you off your seats because of the sheer audacity of the strokes he executes, and yet, it feels normal for someone of his calibre. That alone should tell you why Buttler is in a league of his own, and how he, at this moment, is peerless as a T20 batter, with all the numbers to back.

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