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Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2026 final defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru featured several moments that attracted attention, but one of the biggest talking points came early in their innings when youngster Nishant Sindhu was promoted ahead of Jos Buttler.Now, the former England captain has revealed that the unexpected move was a tactical decision made by Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra.The Titans entered the final hoping to claim a second IPL title after defeating Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. However, they ran into a dominant RCB side that had already beaten them in Qualifier 1 and once again found themselves second best on the biggest stage.Their chase for the trophy suffered an early setback when captain Shubman Gill was dismissed for 10 in the third over. With Gujarat needing stability, many expected Buttler to walk in at No. 3. Instead, Nishant Sindhu was sent to the crease in a move that surprised many observers.Speaking on the For The Love of Cricket Podcast, Buttler disclosed that he was preparing to bat before Nehra informed him of the change in plans.“When the first wicket went down, I got up to put my helmet on. But Ashish Nehra said, ‘You sit back down, we are going to send Nishant in at 3’. I did ask him after the game, and he just said it felt reactive at that point, and it was a good chance to get Nishant in the game as he’s a top-order batter,” Buttler said.The tactical call did not deliver the desired result. Sai Sudharsan fell soon after, increasing the pressure on the batting unit, while Nishant scored 20 before being dismissed in the eighth over. By the time Buttler eventually arrived at the crease, Gujarat were already struggling to build momentum.The England batter explained that the decision was partly influenced by Gujarat’s desire to give Nishant a bigger role after a season in which opportunities had often been limited.“He has been sometimes on that slippery slope where the team gets going, and he has ended up not batting or batting at 7. So it was a decision to get him in the game. He had batted ahead of me in another game against KKR. Right or wrong, it just didn’t work out for us,” he added.With wickets falling around him, Buttler attempted to guide the innings deep into the chase. However, he was unable to produce the acceleration Gujarat desperately needed, scoring 19 from 23 deliveries before being dismissed by Krunal Pandya.Looking back on his own contribution, Buttler admitted he was disappointed with the way his innings unfolded.“When I did bat, I wanted to take it deep as we had lost a few wickets. I just never got the boundaries and got done in by a good piece of bowling from a smart operator, Krunal Pandya. It’s disappointing when you go worse than a run-a-ball in an IPL final. It’s not a great look,” Buttler added.Gujarat eventually finished on 155, a total that never seriously threatened RCB. The defending champions completed a comfortable chase to secure a second consecutive IPL title, while the Titans were left reflecting on a final where several key decisions, including the promotion of Nishant Sindhu, failed to produce the outcome they had hoped for.
