England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler compared Indian cricket fanbase to football in England and said he learnt from the IPL how the players dealt with the big pressure of fans.
“It is like nothing else, the way Indian players are adored and supported, the level of fame is incredible. Only thing that (I) can link it to is football in England. It is fascinating watching how they deal with it, the media scrutiny. It is a privilege as well. Learned from the IPL how best players deal with, in a good way, with the chaos around,” Buttler told Humans of Bombay in an interview.
Buttler also talked about the demeanor MS Dhoni carries as he enjoys massive support from the fans.
“Just watching (MS) Dhoni come out to bat that night (against RR in IPL 2023). The crowd is so expectant. The demeanour he carries is quite incredible for that sort of situation and external pressures.
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“The travelling support that India gets wherever they go… Craig Kieswetter drove me to the Manchester ground (his debut) and watched throngs of Indian fans waiting for the team bus to arrive. It was an eye-opening, surreal experience,” he said.
Buttler then talked about the upcoming 50-over World Cup in India.
Understanding how it feels to win a world Cup four years ago gives you the drive to do it again. India is one of the best places to play cricket. So, it is going to be huge. Once the IPL finishes, the attention will start to switch towards that. England has a strong talent pool. Our cricket has gone from strength to strength from 2015 onwards. We’re a good team, a balanced side,” he said.