The T20 World Cup-winning English white-ball captain, who was the highest run-scorer in the IPL last season, scored a mammoth 203 for 5 with a 22-ball 54.
“At the moment I am enjoying my batting and trying to keep my head clear,” Butler said after winning the player of the match award after a massive 72-run win here.
The Royals opener had scored 863 runs with four hundreds and as many fifties at an average of over 57 to win the Orange Cap in 2022 as he made his first final in 14 years.
“Keeping the mind clear and once you get off to a good start in the powerplay, it allows you to be aggressive.”
Buttler’s fireworks meant that the Royals made a record start, scoring their highest powerplay score of 85 for 1.
“It’s a great start for us. We had a really good last season, but this year it doesn’t matter.”
Asked if he goes into bat with some preconceived notions, he said: “A little bit. You try to plan a bit, but you try to assess the conditions, put the opposition under pressure. “
Later Yuzvendra Chahal (4-0-17-4) and Trent Boult (4-1-21-2) took SRH to 95 for 8 in a one-sided encounter and restricted them to 131 for 8.
Chahal said, ‘The way we got off to a good start, the way Jos and Yashasvi batted, we knew 200 was a good score on this wicket.’
On his match with Harry Brook, the Indian leg-spinner said: “My plan was to vary my pace and bowl stump to stump. That’s always been my strength. I’m not trying anything new and I’m just trying to build on my strengths.” I am supporting.”
Leading in the absence of their regular skipper Aiden Markram, SRH stand-in skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar said they would have to move on from the loss.
The South African trio of Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen are on national duty.
Bhuvneshwar said, ‘Let’s forget and move on.. South Africans are coming back and we will definitely bat better, we have to move on from this game.’
He said that his bowling needed improvement and got positives from the cameos of Abdul Samad and Umran MalikWho gave 36 runs in 14 balls.
“We didn’t bowl very well, first match of the season and a lot to improve. It was a very good track, we can prepare whatever we want but we are not worried about it.
“But the way we came back in the last six overs and Umran’s cameo at the end were some positives.”