IPL 2023: Joss Buttler scores 5th duck of season, creates unwanted record in match vs Punjab Kings

Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler, right, walks back to pavilion after his dismissal during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in Dharamshala, India, Friday, May 19, 2023. (AP Photo /Ashwini Bhatia)

Rajasthan Royals batter Jos Buttler registered a rather unwanted record when he was out for a duck against the Punjab Kings on Friday. This was the Englishman's 5th duck of the season, the most by any batter in the history of the Indian Premier League.

The RR batter who started the season in good nick seemed to lose his scoring touch as the campaign wore on. On Friday, he was caught plumb by Kagiso Rabada and did not even bother to review. This was his 3rd duck in 3 consecutive games.

Earlier, Sam Curran (49 not out) and Jitesh Sharma (44) revived the innings while M Shahrukh Khan (41 not out) provided the late surge to power Punjab Kings to a competitive 187 for 5 against Rajasthan Royals in their final IPL league



match.

Asked to take the first strike, PBKS were down 50 for 4 but Curran and Jitesh added 64 to resurrect the innings.

The England all-rounder and Shahrukh then piled up 73 off 37 balls with 46 of them coming off the last 2 overs to take them to a good score.

Trent Boult pegged PBKS back, dismissing Prabhsimran Singh (2) with a caught and bowl effort in the second ball but Shikhar Dhawan (17) and Atharva Taide (19) kept dealing in boundaries as they were looking good at 38 for 1 in 3.3 overs.

Shahrukh and Curran couldn't find the big hits initially and it was only when skipper Sanju Samson decided to bowl Yuzvendra Chahal the 19th over that PBKS exploded, milking the spinner for 28 runs.

The first two balls were sent for a four and six by Shahrukh before Curran took over, clobbering two sixes and a four to take PBKS across the 150-mark.

Shahrukh then blasted a six and four as Boult bled 18 runs in the last over.