Matthew Wade backs GT middle order to step up in IPL 2025 playoffs in Jos Buttler’s absence

Gujarat Titans assistant coach Matthew Wade has backed the franchise’s middle order to step up in Jos Buttler’s absence. The England batter won’t be available for the playoffs due to national commitments as he would join the English squad for the limited-overs series against the West Indies. 

Buttler has been in tremendous form in the ongoing season, scoring runs in 500 runs in 11 innings at an average of 71.43. GT’s top-three batters – Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler have done the lion’s share of the scoring for the franchise. 

While Sudharsan has scored 617 runs in 12 matches, Gill has accumulated 601 runs in as many games in IPL 2025. Meanwhile, Jos Buttler has been replaced by Kusal Mendis for the IPL playoffs.

Buttler will play the team’s last league stage match against CSK on May 25.

“It certainly doesn’t worry us, we know that those guys are in terrific form when they’ve got the opportunity and that they’ll do a great job for us,” said Wade during the pre-match press conference.

“It’d be nice if the top three keep scoring the majority of the runs. We’re going to lose Jos after a few more games, so there’s going to be another opportunity for someone to come in at three and take that role over.

“But I’m really confident that those guys, when they get their opportunity, they’ll make a big impact in the games like they have when they’ve been needed over the last six or eight weeks.”

The former Australian wicket-keeper bat noted that the likes of Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, and Shahrukh Khan have done well in limited opportunities they have got but admitted they lack game time.

“The positive thing is the middle order — Sherfane (Rutherford) and Shahrukh (Khan), guys like that, (Rahul) Tewatia — they’ve had good impact in games when they’ve got the opportunity, they just haven’t got a lot of game time over the last few weeks.

GT will next take on Lucknow Super Giants at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Thursday.