Key Points

Gujarat Titans welcome back Jos Buttler and Gerald Coetzee as the IPL resumes this weekend. Kolkata Knight Riders' Caribbean stars Andre Russell and Sunil Narine return for their crucial matches. GT sits atop the table with 16 points while KKR fights for survival in the playoffs race. Both teams face high-stakes fixtures in the final stretch of the tournament.

Key Points: Buttler Coetzee Join GT as Russell Narine Return for KKR IPL Clash

  • Buttler and Coetzee rejoin GT for IPL resumption
  • Russell Narine return for KKR's do-or-die matches
  • GT leads table with 16 points
  • KKR faces must-win scenario for playoff hopes
3 min read

Buttler, Coetzee set to join GT; Russell, Narine to link with KKR ahead of do-or-die fixture in Bengaluru

Jos Buttler and Gerald Coetzee bolster Gujarat Titans while Andre Russell and Sunil Narine return for KKR's must-win IPL matches.

"KKR's Caribbean stars Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell and team mentor Dwayne Bravo have been in Dubai since the tournament was suspended - ESPNcricinfo"

New Delhi, May 13

Former England skipper Jos Buttler and South Africa quick Gerald Coetzee will join the Gujarat Titans squad on Wednesday ahead of the resumption of the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 17.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Buttler and Coetzee were the only overseas players who left India after the BCCI suspended the cash-rich league last Thursday due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.

GT's other overseas players, including Rashid Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Kagiso Rabada and Karim Janat, stayed with the rest of the squad in India.

Rutherford was named in the West Indies ODI squad for the three-match series in England, which is scheduled from May 29 to June 3. The Caribbean side's tour will clash with the new schedule of the remainder of IPL 2025, which will resume on Saturday and conclude on June 3. Like Rutherford, Buttler is in the same situation after being named in England's ODI squad for the series.

With three matches left in the group stage, Gujarat sits at the table's summit on 16 points, ahead of second-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru, courtesy of their superior net run rate. Gujarat's next fixture is against Delhi Capitals on May 18. They will finish the campaign with two home fixtures against Lucknow Super Giants on May 22 and against Chennai Super Kings on May 25 in Ahmedabad.

Meanwhile, according to ESPNcricinfo, most of the overseas players of the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, are expected to arrive in Bengaluru between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

KKR's Caribbean stars Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell and team mentor Dwayne Bravo have been in Dubai since the tournament was suspended for a week. Wicketkeeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is in Kabul, will go to Dubai, join the West Indies contingent and then fly to India.

At the same time, South Africa tearaway Anrich Nortje will join KKR in Bengaluru from the Maldives. According to ESPNcricinfo, KKR's Indian players and support staff are expected to arrive on Wednesday.

The defending champions are in a precarious situation regarding their title defence. The beleaguered Kolkata side is in the seventh spot, hanging in the playoffs race by mathematical calculations. KKR is sixth in the standings with 11 points, and their remaining two fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are do-or-die affairs.

If the Knight Riders stand triumphant with two wins, they will move to 15 points and will hope for other results to fall in their favour to keep their title defence alive.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Finally some good news after all the tension! IPL is our happy place 🇮🇳 Hope GT continues their dominance. Buttler's return is crucial for their batting lineup. Let's focus on cricket now!
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Priya M.
Why do foreign players get to leave when Indian players stay put? Our boys showed commitment by staying through everything. BCCI should have same rules for all. #EqualTreatment
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Arjun S.
KKR's situation is so tense! Russell and Narine magic needed desperately 💜 Can't believe defending champs might not qualify. That last match against RCB will be epic - Eden Gardens atmosphere will be electric!
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Shweta R.
Coetzee is such an exciting young talent! Saw him bowl in SA20 - raw pace and aggression. Perfect replacement for GT if Rabada gets rested. Hope he gets game time 🤞
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Vikram J.
The schedule is too cramped now. Players will be exhausted with back-to-back matches. Quality might suffer. BCCI should have considered extending by few more days for player welfare.
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Neha P.
As a KKR fan, this break came at worst possible time 😭 Our momentum was building. Now need to start fresh. But hey, at least we have Russell back! One big innings from him can change everything 💪

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