Gujarat Titans have made a strategic move by bringing in Sri Lankan batter Kusal Mendis as a temporary replacement for Jos Buttler in the IPL 2025 playoffs, should they qualify. Buttler is set to play in the remaining three league games, including the crucial match against CSK on May 25, before departing for international duty with England.
Buttler will join the England squad for the white-ball series against West Indies, starting on May 29. Mendis, who has never played in the IPL before, arrives with a strong T20 record, boasting a strike rate of 137.43 across 167 innings. He joins the Titans for INR 75 Lakh.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants are facing a setback as their pace sensation Mayank Yadav, retained for INR 11 Crore this season, has been ruled out once again due to a back injury. Yadav, who made a comeback mid-season, played only two games and struggled with figures of 2-40 and 0-60 against MI and PBKS. The Super Giants have decided to replace him with New Zealand’s William O’Rourke, a tall, fast bowler, for INR 3 Crore.
Punjab Kings have also made a replacement decision, bringing in Kyle Jamieson to replace Lockie Ferguson, who has been out with a hamstring injury for over a month. Jamieson, who previously played for RCB and CSK, comes on board for INR 2 Crore. The New Zealand pacer has 94 wickets in 81 T20 innings and is expected to bring valuable experience to the Punjab squad for the remainder of the season.