Jos Buttler underwent surgery on his left hamstring on October 12, 2026, and now faces an extended absence from cricket, with no return timeline provided by the medical team.
The 36-year-old announced the development via an Instagram post on Monday, October 12, sharing a photo from his hospital bed with his left leg braced and giving a thumbs-up.
He wrote in the caption, “Succesful [sic] surgery and on the road to recovery,” and added, “Feeling more motivated than ever!”
The hamstring issue first emerged on September 24, 2026, during England’s second ODI against Sri Lanka at Headingley. Buttler departed the field mid-innings due to the injury, made a brief return to bat, but ultimately had to withdraw again. He had scored 69 runs off 49 balls in that innings, which included five sixes, before the injury forced him out of the match.
Potential Assignments Affected by Buttler’s Surgery
Buttler had already been ruled out of England’s tri-series assignment in Pakistan prior to the surgery, with the team scheduled to depart later this week. The October 12 procedure now raises uncertainty about his availability for several upcoming engagements.
The ECB was set to announce its squad for the Australia white-ball tour on October 13, 2026, but Buttler is expected to miss the November series. Similarly, his franchise deal with Durban’s Super Giants for the SA20 tournament, commencing January 17, 2027, remains uncertain due to the lack of a defined recovery timeline.
Notably, on the same day as his surgery, the ECB announced one-year contract extensions for both Buttler and leg-spinner Adil Rashid. Buttler’s updated agreement is set to expire before the 2027 50-over World Cup, scheduled to take place in South Africa.
Buttler’s Pre-Injury Form
In the lead-up to the Headingley match, Buttler had been delivering some of the most consistent white-ball batting of his career. Over nine white-ball internationals following the T20 World Cup, he amassed 466 runs, a run that included the 69-ball innings at Headingley where he departed due to injury.
Earlier in 2026, Buttler contributed 87 runs as England advanced to the T20 World Cup semi-finals. Domestically, he led the Manchester Super Giants to victory in the Hundred and became the first male cricketer to surpass 15,000 career T20 runs—a milestone highlighting his prominence in the shortest format.
This marks another instance of hamstring trouble for Buttler on his left side. A similar injury forced him to miss the 2024 IPL season, and the recurrence has raised concerns within England’s medical team. No official details regarding the nature or extent of the surgical procedure have been disclosed.