INDORE (TIP): Jos Buttler scored his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) half-century to provide the perfect start to Mumbai Indians’ run chase against Kings XI Punjab at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Thursday.

The England international reached the milestone in 24 balls with the help of seven fours and two sixes. He ultimately stopped at 77 off 37 balls, with the help of three more sixes.

Buttler’s brutal knock meant that Hashim?Amla’s maiden IPL century for Kings XI Punjab went in vain, as Mumbai Indians won the match by eight wickets. Buttler was involved in a 85-run second wicket stand with Nitish Rana (62*). The latter stayed unbeaten as MI chased won KXIP’s 199-run target in just 15.3 overs.

Chasing a mammoth total, Mumbai Indians needed a good start and Buttler was well up to the task. He slammed a massive six over mid-wicket in the very first over and then, scored a boundary off a defensive push in the next over.

The onslaught did not stop as the 26-year-old English player looked extremely comfortable against the Kings XI Punjab pacers and in the third over, he pummeled Sandeep Singh for a four and a six. His innings, however, was not perfect as he miscued a shot in the next over but substitute fielder David Miller was unable to hold on to the catch and the ball went for yet another boundary.

It proved to be a costly miss for the hosts as Buttler made them pay with three boundaries in the fifth over. He hit the first two balls through the mid-off region and then adjusted brilliantly to a slower delivery from Mohit Sharma to smear it through extra cover.

Buttler continued to play his natural game even after losing his partner – Parthiv Patel -and he finally brought up his half century with a single off Axar Patel.