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Sri Lanka wicketkeeper/batter Kusal Mendis will replace Jos Buttler in the Gujarat Titans squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 playoffs, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Buttler will not be available for the playoffs as he was selected to play for England's ODI team in the home series against the West Indies, which begins on May 29. The playoffs of the IPL start on the same day. Mendis had been at the Pakistan Super League (PSL) with Quetta Gladiators until last week, playing as their wicketkeeper-batter. He'd last played for them on May 7. But he will not travel to Pakistan for the remainder of the PSL due to perceived safety concerns, and has now pivoted to playing in the IPL, a league in which he has never previously appeared,according to ESPNcricinfo. GT have two other wicketkeeping options in their squad, in Anuj Rawat and Kumar Kushagra. However, Mendis has been in good form for Gladiators in the PSL 2025, hitting 143 runs at a strike rate of 168 in five matches. For Sri Lanka in T20's Mendis has played 78 matches, in which he has made 1920 runs with an average of 25.60 and strike rate of 131.68, the wicketkeeper/batter also has 15 fifties to his name in T20I. The England Cricket Board (ECB) had granted no-objection certificates (NOCs) to all their players participating in IPL till May 25, the original date of the IPL 2025 final, according to ESPNcricinfo. Buttler has made 500 runs in 11 innings for GT in the ongoing IPL, the batter has an average of 71.43 and strike rate of 163.93. GT is currently placed at top in the points table, with eight victories and three defeats in their 11 matches. Their upcoming clash will be against Delhi Capitals on May 18 at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, New Delhi. (ANI)
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