Jos Buttler Eyes Massive T20 Return After Worrisome Form In T20 World Cup

Jos Buttler remains hopeful about his England future after a tough T20 World Cup 2026, while shifting focus to IPL 2026 with Gujarat Titans.

Jos Buttler has expressed hope that his appearance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against India national cricket team will not be his last outing for England national cricket team. However, he admitted that his place in the squad is far from guaranteed ahead of the upcoming white-ball series in July.

Buttler endured a difficult campaign, managing just 87 runs in eight innings and continuing a lean run across recent ICC tournaments. Despite the struggles, he remains optimistic about making a comeback when England host India for five T20Is and three ODIs.

“I hope so,” Buttler said on his podcast, For the Love of Cricket. “I don’t know. Obviously I had a poor tournament, which is disappointing, but I’ve been playing some of the best cricket of my [career] in recent years, so hopefully I can get back to playing my best.

“I certainly have ambitions [to continue playing for England] but no longer being a captain, I’m not a selector and whatever, so what will be will be. Yeah, we will see.”

Break From Cricket Helps Mental Reset

Following the World Cup, Buttler took time away from the game, spending a week in the mountains of France with his family to disconnect and recharge.

He explained how the break helped him mentally reset after a disappointing tournament and allowed him to reflect on his performance and priorities.

“I couldn’t have been further away from cricket, which for me at the time was just perfect. It’s exactly what I needed,” Buttler said. “Obviously the tournament didn’t go personally how I’d have liked it to go, and I just felt like I needed some space from cricket and not to think about the game, and I could not have been further away from cricket where I was in that week.

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“It was really refreshing – I really enjoyed it, a complete sort of release. And slowly but surely, I’d say at the start of this week, [I am] just starting to reflect a bit and have a few thoughts about what’s important to me and my cricket, and why it probably didn’t go quite as I would’ve liked.

“There’s elements [to what went wrong] that I actually don’t really know exactly. For all your best intentions and hard work and efforts to perform, it just didn’t work, and sometimes that’s okay as well. That’s something I’ve had to realise. It wasn’t for a lack of effort. It just didn’t quite happen.”

Focus Shifts to IPL and Backing England Setup

Buttler is now preparing to return to India for the Indian Premier League 2026 season, where he will represent Gujarat Titans.

Despite criticism directed at England’s leadership, Buttler backed the team environment created by Harry Brook and head coach Brendon McCullum, calling it positive and supportive. He also acknowledged India’s dominance in the tournament, describing them as deserving champions after their strong performances in the knockout stages.