Veteran England batter Jos Buttler has stunned fans with a unique and imaginative take on the perfect batter—handpicking qualities from cricketing greats around the world, while curiously omitting any English cricketers. Speaking on the Love of Cricket Podcast, Buttler built what he calls the “ultimate dream batter,” composed of legendary traits from players who’ve defined eras. Starting with grace and elegance, Buttler chose India’s modern-day maestro Virat Kohli for his iconic cover drive.
“There’s something so poetic about the way Kohli leans into a cover drive,” he said. Kohli’s balance, high elbow, and seamless follow-through make his cover drive one of the most aesthetically pleasing sights in cricket today.
For defensive technique, Jos Buttler turned to another Indian stalwart—Rahul Dravid. Revered as “The Wall,” Dravid’s impenetrable defense, built on immense concentration and picture-perfect technique, has long been a benchmark for Test match resilience. Buttler admired the way Dravid combined calmness with technical precision to outlast even the most hostile bowling attacks. The dream batter’s sweep shot, meanwhile, would come from India’s white-ball wizard, Suryakumar Yadav.
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Known for his innovation and fearlessness, Suryakumar has redefined how the sweep shot is played, especially in T20s—pulling off premeditated, angled, and reverse sweeps with surgical precision. When it came to sheer attitude, Buttler didn’t hesitate to name West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards. “Viv had that aura—he could dominate any bowler just by his presence,” Buttler explained. Richards’ swagger and confidence were a trademark of West Indies’ dominance during the golden era.
JOS BUTTLER BUILD HIS DREAM BATTER: [Love of Cricket Podcast]
Cover Drive – Virat Kohli.
Defence – Rahul Dravid.
Sweep – Suryakumar Yadav.
Attitude – Viv Richards.
Six Hitting Ability – Chris Gayle.
Overall – AB De Villiers. pic.twitter.com/i436ZHQBfE— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 13, 2025
To bring explosive power into the mix, Buttler picked another Caribbean icon—Chris Gayle. “There’s no one like Gayle when it comes to six-hitting,” said Buttler. Gayle’s ability to clear boundaries with effortless timing made him the most feared T20 batter for over a decade.
And finally, the foundation of Buttler’s dream batter would be South Africa’s AB de Villiers. Dubbed “Mr. 360,” de Villiers redefined modern-day batting with his ability to hit in every direction, using unconventional strokes, quick footwork, and creativity. “AB could do it all—any format, any condition,” Jos Buttler said, hailing his versatility as unmatched.
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On the international front, Buttler’s own recent form has been a big boost for England. In the T20I series win over the West Indies, he topped the scoring charts with 165 runs, including two half-centuries. His performance helped him climb back into the top five in the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings.
Joining Buttler in the rankings surge are teammates Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith. Duckett’s 115 runs at a strike rate of 169 earned him a leap of 48 places to No. 16. Smith, thanks to a blazing 102 runs at a strike rate of 200, rocketed up 192 spots to break into the top 100 at No. 75. Clearly, England’s white-ball depth continues to impress, both in imagination and execution.
