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#3 Jos Buttler scores 2nd consecutive fifty

Jos Butler has benefitted from Royals' decision to make him open the innings for the side

Rajasthan Royals fended off stiff competition from Mumbai Indians to secure Jos Buttler's services for the 2018 IPL but the 27-year-old English wicketkeeper-batsman had a tough start this season, coming into bat lower down the order.

However, the decision to promote him up the order, as an opener to be specific, has worked out wonderfully well for Ajinkya Rahane's side with the destructive batsman scoring his second IPL fifty in as many matches during the match against Kings XI Punjab tonight,

While he scored an 18-ball 50 against Delhi on Wednesday, the twin dismissals of D'Arcy Short and Rahane early on meant that Butler couldn't quite go blazing all out.

Yet, Butler looked solid and assured in his strokeplay as he struck seven boundaries, including 4 off Ankit Rajpoot's first over, on the way to scoring 51 off 39 balls.

He was involved in a 34-run partnership for the second wicket with Rahane and then added 49 for the third wicket with Sanju Samson giving Rajasthan a solid start at the top of the order.