New Delhi: Jos Buttler’s lean patch continued in the T20 World Cup 2026 as the opener bagged a two-ball duck in England’s Super 8 match against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, February 27.
The Three Lions have already qualified for the semifinals of the tournament, but Buttler’s form is a massive concern for the team ahead of the knockout match. The opener has struggled to score runs in the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup, amassing just 62 runs in seven matches.
Chasing the 160-run target, England got off to a disappointing start as Matt Henry dismissed Phil Salt for two runs in the opening over. Buttler was removed by Lockie Ferguson for a duck in the next over. Lockie bowled a short-length delivery, and Buttler tried to push off the back foot for a single, but got an outside edge to the wicketkeeper Tim Siefert.
ఫెర్గ్యూసన్ దెబ్బకు బట్లర్ ఔట్ ⚡
మొదటి ఓవర్లోనే న్యూజిలాండ్కు బ్రేక్త్రూ 🙌
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup 2026 | #ENGvNZ | LIVE NOW
📺 మీ Star Sports తెలుగు & 📱 JioHotstar లో pic.twitter.com/8RzPMbgCpu— StarSportsTelugu (@StarSportsTel) February 27, 2026
Buttler started his T20 World Cup campaign by scoring 26 runs against Nepal in Mumbai, and then amassed 21 against the West Indies at the same venue. The England opener has now registered five single-digit scores in the last five matches.
Earlier, England fast bowling consultant Tim Southee backed Buttler to make a strong comeback in the ongoing tournament. Southee, in the pre-match press conference, said that he has played with and against Buttler, and the opener is just a couple of good strikes away from an amazing innings. But, Buttler failed again to deliver with the bat.
more to follow..