Buttler, Coetzee set to join GT; Russell, Narine to link with KKR ahead of do-or-die fixture in Bengaluru

New Delhi [India], May 13 (ANI): Former England skipper Jos Buttler and South Africa quick Gerald Coetzee will join the Gujarat Titans squad on Wednesday ahead of the resumption of the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 17.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Buttler and Coetzee were the only overseas players who left India after the BCCI suspended the cash-rich league last Thursday due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.
GT's other overseas players, including Rashid Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Kagiso Rabada and Karim Janat, stayed with the rest of the squad in India.
Rutherford was named in the West Indies ODI squad for the three-match series in England, which is scheduled from May 29 to June 3. The Caribbean side's tour will clash with the new schedule of the remainder of IPL 2025, which will resume on Saturday and conclude on June 3. Like Rutherford, Buttler is in the same situation after being named in England's ODI squad for the series.
With three matches left in the group stage, Gujarat sits at the table's summit on 16 points, ahead of second-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru, courtesy of their superior net run rate. Gujarat's next fixture is against Delhi Capitals on May 18. They will finish the campaign with two home fixtures against Lucknow Super Giants on May 22 and against Chennai Super Kings on May 25 in Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, according to ESPNcricinfo, most of the overseas players of the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, are expected to arrive in Bengaluru between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
KKR's Caribbean stars Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell and team mentor Dwayne Bravo have been in Dubai since the tournament was suspended for a week. Wicketkeeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is in Kabul, will go to Dubai, join the West Indies contingent and then fly to India.
At the same time, South Africa tearaway Anrich Nortje will join KKR in Bengaluru from the Maldives. According to ESPNcricinfo, KKR's Indian players and support staff are expected to arrive on Wednesday.
The defending champions are in a precarious situation regarding their title defence. The beleaguered Kolkata side is in the seventh spot, hanging in the playoffs race by mathematical calculations. KKR is sixth in the standings with 11 points, and their remaining two fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are do-or-die affairs.
If the Knight Riders stand triumphant with two wins, they will move to 15 points and will hope for other results to fall in their favour to keep their title defence alive. (ANI)