Jos Buttler will not play for Paarl Royals in the SA20 2025 tournament, as the keeper-batter opted out of the league. He called it a “shame” and expressed his gratitude to the Royals’ fans in a social media message on Tuesday, August 6.
Buttler, known for his destructive batting, is a key player for the Royals in the lucrative competition. He will, however, be unable to attend the SA20 2025 due to national duties. The experienced cricketer hasn’t had the best of luck lately, having been ruled out of The Hundred 2024 due to injury.
The T20 competition will take place from January 9 to February 8, 2025, with England scheduled to tour India for five T20Is and three ODIs between January 22 and February 12.
Despite being under pressure for a spell, Buttler remains the white-ball captain until the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Jos Buttler withdraws from SA20
Buttler has been one of the greatest performers in the SA20, leading the runs list in 2023 and finishing fourth with 408 runs at an average of 40.80 this season. His link to the Royals club is profound since he also plays an important part for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
“This is a message to the Paarl Royals fans. [I am] disappointed that I won’t be coming back to the SA20 this year. There are some England games on and my full focus will be there. It’s a shame I won’t be coming back to the tournament. I have got a lot of love for the tournament. Huge amount of love for the Paarl Royals and especially the Paarl Royals fans. I wish you all the best in the competition and hopefully, I can come back in the future,” Buttler posted on Paarl Royals’ social media.
Thank you for everything, Jos the Boss. We’ll miss the scoops, we’ll miss you! 💗 pic.twitter.com/OTYR4cfWw2
— Paarl Royals (@paarlroyals) August 6, 2024
Dinesh Karthik signs with Paarl Royals; to become the first Indian to play in the SA20
Meanwhile, the Paarl Royals announced the signing of former India keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik as a replacement for Jos Buttler.
Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who announced his retirement from Indian cricket in June, is expected to become the first Indian player to play in the SA20 competition, which begins on January 9.
Karthik will join the Paarl Royals as a foreign player, marking an important milestone in his brilliant career.
Even though his peak coincided with that of the legendary MS Dhoni, Karthik made a significant contribution to Indian cricket. He played for the country in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20Is, scoring 3463 runs across formats, including one hundred and seventeen half-centuries.
Paarl Royals squad: David Miller (c), Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dinesh Karthik, Mitchell van Buuren, Codi Yusuf, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dayyaan Galiem (Traded in)
Also Read: One Indian In ICC’s Nominees For Men’s Player Award Of July 2024