"I did play a bit of hockey" - Gujarat Titans' ₹15.75 crore signing's massive revelation of playing ramp shots in IPL 2025

Gujarat Titans' (GT) star keeper-batter Jos Buttler recently commented on his ramp shot being similar to the flick in hockey amid the ongoing IPL 2025. He remarked that while he has played hockey, the stroke has no connection to that sport.

Buttler suggested that he has worked on the ramp shot to make sure he can hit it against any ball, not just a yorker. He pointed out that that was the reason behind him not playing the shot by going down on one leg.

The 34-year-old's 360-degree batting repertoire was on display during GT's recent IPL 2025 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In the 18th over of Gujarat's run chase, Buttler sent the ball over the ropes for a six with a reverse ramp off pacer Josh Hazlewood's bowling.

During an interview with the Times of India, here's what Buttler said about his ramp shot and does it has any connection to hockey:

"I did play a bit of hockey, but no, I think it's more of just a cricket shot that's evolved. You know, trying to, like I say, just deflect the ball to a big gap on the field. Obviously, if the third man is up, then you can get it over him or over the wicketkeeper. I was always trying to work out a way of how I could play it to every single ball that a bowler could bowl. So, I wasn't just relying on a yorker. That's why I stood up as opposed to going down on one leg."

Buttler was also asked if he had borrowed ideas from sports like baseball and tennis to his batting. He opined that all sports with a ball are natural crossovers but have their own nuances. The former England white-ball captain explained:

"Not directly, I would say, but I enjoy other sports. I like watching other sports. I suppose the power-hitting stuff has some similarities with baseball. But I would say, for me, I think any ball sport, you know, with an implement, say a racket or a stick or a bat, there are natural crossovers. Golf, the way someone is going to swing the club, or whatever, the bat, you know, so at the end of the day, you're still hitting a ball. And each sport has its own nuances and different techniques."

"But each individual has probably a certain style or thing that would probably crossover into all those games as well. I think we get caught up sometimes on, 'oh, that's a hockey shot in cricket' or 'it's a golf swing.' But I would say it's just hitting a ball. No matter what sport you're playing, you're hitting a ball, and you're using all that experience and hand-eye coordination and muscle memory to just try and hit the ball as well as you can in cricket," Buttler added.

Jos Buttler was released by Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. The swashbuckling batter was roped in by the Gujarat-based side for ₹15.75 crore at the event.

He played a stunning 73*-run knock off 39 balls in GT's eight-wicket win over RCB. The English cricketer has chalked up 166 runs across three innings in IPL 2025 at a strike rate of 172.91.

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"I owe a huge debt to Mahela Jayawardene" - Jos Buttler on Sri Lankan legend making him an opener in IPL 207

During the aforementioned interview, Jos Buttler credited former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene for making him an opener in T20s. The player was promoted to the top of the order during Jayawardene's stint as Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach in IPL 2017.

Speaking about batting at different positions in his career, Buttler commented:

"I've really enjoyed batting all up and down the order. In the first half of my career, I was very much a middle-order player or finisher. Actually, I owe a huge debt to Mahela Jayawardene for giving me the chance to open in T20 cricket. I had to learn how to play the powerplay. But once I got through the powerplay, it felt like I was just batting as I used to anyway. So yeah, it's nice to be able to marry the two styles. Obviously, if you can get through the powerplay and then play freely, you can really impact the game."

It is worth mentioning that while Buttler has enjoyed great success as an opener in T20 cricket, he has been given a new role by GT. He has batted at No. 3 in IPL 2025, with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan opening the batting.

GT are currently placed fourth on the IPL 2025 points table, with two wins from three fixtures. They take on SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, April 6.