Jos Buttler has regained his T20 form after a prolonged lean patch. Image Credits: AFPAfter an underwhelming T20 World Cup 2026, Jos Buttler’s spot in England’s setup was under threat. He has been their greatest-ever white-ball batter, but his returns were far from convincing. By the end of the T20 World Cup, Buttler had scored just 306 runs at an abysmal average of 20.40 and a strike rate of 135.39 in 16 T20 innings, including a solitary fifty.For England, his numbers were even poorer. The English batter accumulated only 168 at an average of 15.27 and a strike rate of 124.44 in 11 outings, with a best of 39. At the T20 World Cup, his average and strike rate fell further to 10.87 and 116, respectively.Jos Buttler’s marvellous comeback in T20sJos Buttler in T20s in 2026Just when Jos Buttler’s credentials came under the scanner, he began to rediscover his form and has now well and truly regained his beast mode.The redemption began with his IPL stint with Gujarat Titans (GT), where he batted at No.3. Buttler scored 526 runs at an average of 37.57 and a strike rate of 152.46 across 17 outings, including four fifties. More than the numbers, the stint helped restore confidence after an extended lean patch, with GT providing the setup to let him play his natural game.From there, Buttler carried that momentum into The Hundred 2026 with Manchester Super Giants (MSG). Back in familiar surroundings in Manchester and across other English venues, he averaged a whopping 55.66 and struck at 173.05 in nine innings, including four fifties.Buttler also led MSG to the title after Aiden Markram left the tournament midway due to personal reasons. His international resurgence began with a magnificent hundred against India in Southampton.Also Read: Jos Buttler Overtakes Rizwan In Elite T20I List; Sits Next To Rohit Sharma, Virat KohliButtler smashed 131 off just 64 balls, with 12 fours and eight sixes, at a strike rate of 204.68. That innings sparked another remarkable run, as he continued his brilliant form against Sri Lanka. He began the series with a commanding 80 at the same venue before signing off with an unbeaten 62 on his home ground.Overall, Buttler has now amassed 1217 runs at an average of 45.07 and a strike rate of 166.25 in 34 innings, with 10 fifties and a century. His consistency has also seen him become the first batter to reach 15,000 T20 runs.More importantly, Buttler has silenced the doubts around his age and form. What looked like a prolonged decline has instead turned into another reminder of just how dangerous he can be when his confidence and rhythm return.Improvements vs spinJos Buttler's spin performance in 2026A major reason behind Jos Buttler’s poor run was his struggles against spin. He simply couldn’t find a way to dominate slow bowlers and kept getting out to them.From the start of the year until the end of the T20 World Cup 2026, Buttler averaged just 13.14 and struck at 102.22 against spin in T20s. He took around nine balls per boundary, played 42.2% dot balls and lost his wicket once every 12.85 balls.However, since IPL 2026, Buttler has made significant improvements against spin. He now averages 47.37 and strikes at 157.91 against slow bowlers, while his balls-per-boundary ratio has improved to 5.10 and his dot-ball percentage has dropped to 28.3%.The change was particularly evident during the India series, where Buttler took on Axar Patel with remarkable ease and effectively negated India’s biggest spin threat. He then carried the same approach into the Sri Lanka series, taking down Tharindu Ratnayake and Maheesh Theekshana as well.England Cricket @englandcricket 4️⃣4️⃣4️⃣4️⃣ Jos Buttler hits four 4s in a row 🤯👏 Sep 15, 2026, 11:18 PM A key part of the improvement has been a technical adjustment. Jos Buttler has worked on transferring his weight more effectively while keeping his back foot slightly more open, allowing him to generate a more natural bat swing. As a result, playing in front of square has become easier again.Earlier, his bat often got stuck behind his body because of his positioning and stance. That restricted his swing and prevented him from getting the timing he wanted, leaving him vulnerable to getting caught. Now, with a better base and cleaner bat path, Buttler is once again able to access those areas with far greater freedom.Why Buttler is important to England’s T20I prospectsEngland have several exciting batters coming through the ranks, but Jos Buttler still offers something few of them can. He remains one of their finest white-ball batters and an important part of the setup. More than his experience, it is the range and quality of his skills that keep him relevant.The next T20 World Cup will be played in Australia in 2028, where the conditions are likely to favour batters who can handle high-quality pace. Buttler is among the best in that department, with a wide range of orthodox and unorthodox strokes. He can access all parts of the ground and is particularly adept at dealing with high bounce.England Cricket @englandcricket How do you bowl to Jos Buttler? 🤷 Keep up to date ➡️ Sep 18, 2026, 1:06 AM His record in Australia underlines that. Buttler has scored 1081 runs at an average of 36.03 and a strike rate of 139.12 in 32 T20 innings in the country, including 10 fifties. He was also England’s leading run-scorer and the fourth-highest run-scorer overall at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.England’s current options also leave room for Buttler to remain central to their plans. Phil Salt’s form has fluctuated in recent times, while injuries have added another layer of uncertainty. Aneurin Donald and Jordan Cox are still finding their feet at the international level and need more exposure before they can be expected to shoulder the responsibility consistently.That makes Buttler all the more valuable at the top. He is one of those rare batters who can build long innings without sacrificing his scoring rate, a quality reflected in his 15,000 T20 runs.For a T20 World Cup in Australia, England will want Buttler fit and firing. There is a reason they continued to back him through his lean patch, and he is now beginning to repay that faith. The challenge is to sustain this resurgence over the next two years and ensure that his final chapter in England’s white-ball setup is befitting of everything that came before it.Also Read: India vs England T20I Record Comparison Since Harry Brook Took Over As Captain
