Jos Buttler has been around long enough to know it usually takes perseverance to bring a run drought to an end and the Gujarat batter's resolve was finally rewarded with a stellar knock in the Titans' win over Delhi Capitals on Wednesday.
England's former white ball captain had managed just 87 runs across eight innings in this year's Twenty20 World Cup but scores of 38 and 26 in the first two games of the Indian Premier League suggested a turnaround was at hand.
Buttler smashed 52 off 27 balls, including five sweetly timed sixes, to help Gujarat rack up 210 4 against Delhi at Arun Jaitley Stadium but his calm presence behind the stumps proved just as crucial in a final ball thriller.
With Delhi needing two runs off the last delivery, David Miller failed to connect with Gujarat seamer Prasidh Krishna's slow bouncer but set off for a single aiming to tie the score and force a Super Over.
However, Buttler neatly collected the ball and broke the stumps with an underarm throw to run out Miller's batting partner Kuldeep Yadav and seal Gujarat's first win in three matches.
"Great to get the win, blind squirrels and all that," Buttler said. "Very lucky throw but, obviously delighted. We desperately needed a win, glad we managed to sneak through."
Innovative 🤝 Powerful
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Jos Buttler looks in the 𝙈.𝙊.𝙊.𝘿 tonight 😎#GT 68/1 after the powerplay.
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Just being back among the runs was pleasing for the 35 year old.
"(Feeling) good, been searching for them a little bit. Felt in good touch actually, since I've been here," he added.
"I've played for long enough to know that it'll come back at some point. You just got to keep working through it."
Gujarat, who won the IPL title in their debut season in 2022, climbed to sixth in the standings and next face Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.