When Jos Buttler was picked up by English selectors for the Test series against Pakistan, it raised many eyebrows since the wicketkeeper-batsman had been picked over players that have been slogging hard in the county circuit.

In the end, however, it turned out to be a great move. He scored 161 runs in three innings, one of which was a match-winning 80 not-out in the final Test, to help England save the series 1-1.

And according to Buttler, it was his stint in the IPL that filled him to the brim with confidence as he had to absorb a lot of pressure in the tournament. It helped him get a perspective as he noted down the differences between the two formats.

“Those couple of weeks in the IPL gave me huge amounts of confidence. To be in those pressure situations in India, playing in front of crowds, the pressure of being an overseas player.

“That showed me a lot about where I was at and where I can get to, so that gave me a lot of confidence. For me, not trying to worry about the colour of the ball definitely helps.

“Having put in good performances elsewhere and not putting as much pressure on myself.

“In T20 there’s generally another game soon after, so you know you’ve got another opportunity coming up. You probably just move on if you fail. But in Test cricket, if you get out early, you have a long time to think about it.”

Jos Buttler was emphatic in the Indian Premier League this season. He was not only Rajasthan Royals’ best batsman but single-handedly won them many games after being promoted to opening.