Liam Livingstone takes a brutal swipe at Punjab Kings after joining RCB

Published - 28 Nov 2024, 01:06 PM | Updated - 28 Nov 2024, 11:35 PM

Virat Kohli of RCB, Liam Livingstone and PBKS
Virat Kohli of RCB, Liam Livingstone and PBKS. Image Credit: X

England all-rounder Liam Livingstone has expressed his eagerness to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025 season. Livingstone, who is known for his power-hitting, believes RCB's setup and the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium align perfectly with his aggressive playing style.

Having started his IPL journey in 2019 with the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Liam Livingstone spent the past three IPL seasons with the Punjab Kings (PBKS), where the Englishman became a vital middle-order batter. Over his IPL career, the 31-year-old has so far amassed 827 runs.

Liam Livingstone excited to unleash beast mode at Chinnaswamy Stadium with Royal Challengers Bangalore

However, the England all-rounder was released by Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, and he became a hot property on the table, igniting a bidding war between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

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Eventually, Royal Challengers Bangalore secured Livingstone’s services for a staggering INR 8.75 crore to bolster their squad with a proven match-winner. Now, the Englishman has expressed his excitement about playing at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which is famous for its shorter boundaries and high-scoring thrillers.

Liam Livingstone has emphasized that the conditions in Bengaluru would complement his explosive batting more than the larger grounds in Punjab, giving him an edge to unleash his full potential in the IPL. He is now looking forward to a fresh start and shining brighter than ever in the iconic RCB jersey.

It’s a bit of a fresh start for me: Livingstone

Liam Livingstone was quoted as saying by Reuters, “The fan base is very passionate. It’s probably one of the biggest franchises in IPL… It’s a bit of a fresh start for me. I think Bangalore is going to be very good for my game. It’s a little bit smaller than some of the stadiums in India, but certainly better than what Punjab was for me. Hopefully, my game should suit that place well.”

Meanwhile, Livingstone recalled the excitement of watching RCB’s legendary batting trio—Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers—dominate IPL games on television. Now, he’s eager to create his own mark alongside Kohli and fellow Englishman Phil Salt, who was signed by RCB for an impressive INR 11.5 crore at the mega auction, as they chase their first IPL title.

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Liam Livingstone excited to play alongside Virat Kohli for RCB

However, Livingstone admitted that achieving such an impact will require significant effort and preparation before he can replicate the magic of the iconic trio with his new teammates Virat Kohli and Salt for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the next IPL 2025 season.

The Englishman signed off by saying, “I think we had a really good auction. We’ve got some good players; we picked up quite cleverly. There are a few people in that team I know really well, so I’m pretty excited to get out there as a group. Playing with the likes of Virat is going to be really cool.”

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