'He's an elite athlete. You can't get away with just being skillful': Tom Moody in awe of IPL star

Tuesday’s intense match between the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) resulted in an exhilarating victory for the Royals. In a high-scoring encounter, KKR set an imposing target of 223/6 in 20 overs. However, RR displayed remarkable resilience, successfully chasing down the target with 224/8 in the final over, securing a thrilling 2-wicket win. Jos Buttler's standout performance, scoring an unbeaten 107 off 60 balls, earned him the well-deserved title of Player of the Match. The match unfolded with outstanding individual performances, adding to the excitement and reinforcing the competitive spirit of the IPL.

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 Tom Moody heaps praise on Jos Buttler’s knock against KKR 

Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody emphasized the necessity for professional cricketers to also exemplify elite athleticism, following Jos Buttler's match-winning century against Kolkata Knight Riders. Buttler's resilience and unbeaten 107 off 60 balls guided the Rajasthan Royals to victory, overshadowing Sunil Narine's century and delivering the winning runs on the final ball.

“Well, he kept going because he's an elite athlete and it just shows, in today's world of T20 cricket or any form of cricket, you need to be an elite athlete. You can't just get away with just being a skilful player and that time has well and truly passed,” Moody said in a Star Sports release.

Buttler, who missed Rajasthan’s previous game against Punjab Kings due to an injury, kept battling for the Royals despite running out of partners on a regular basis. “He's an elite athlete, that's why he's still standing for that very last ball to hit the winning runs. (It is as) simple as that, he's coming back from an illness, he's managed to bounce back pretty quickly because he is strong and physically strong,” Moody said.

“But he's also feeling mentally strong as well, given his history in the game but there's no hiding, in those conditions it's extremely tough and if you don't have the hard yards as an athlete and done the hard work — you can't put in performances like that,” Moody added. 

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Rajasthan Royals stand at the top of the IPL 2024 table with 6 wins and 1 loss in 7 matches played. They will now knock horns with Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians on Monday, April 22, 2024.

(With PTI inputs)