“Liam Livingstone would have been surprised” - Ex-India opener questions England star’s ₹13 crore price tag
Published - 19 Mar 2026, 10:48 AM | Updated - 19 Mar 2026, 10:52 AM
Former Team India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh spoke about English all-rounder Liam Livingstone’s price tag ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Ramesh said that even the destructive batter himself would have been surprised when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured him at the auction.
The SRH management spent ₹13 crore during the recent auction to acquire the 32-year-old cricketer. While he emerged as their most expensive signing, the Hyderabad franchise also secured Jack Edwards for ₹3 crore and Salil Arora for ₹1.50 crore while finalizing their squad for the marquee tournament.
Liam Livingstone Would Have Been Surprised to Go for Such a High Price - Sadagoppan Ramesh
Speaking on Star Sports about SRH’s signing of Liam Livingstone, Sadagoppan Ramesh said that franchises often overpay after a poor individual campaign, hoping players rediscover their peak batting form during the tournament.
"Even he would have been surprised by going for so many. Many franchises pick such cricketers, even after a bad season for them, with the assumption that they'll return to form the following season. This is a double-edged sword," Ramesh told Star Sports.
The franchise signed the English all-rounder during the auction last year. Notably, Sunrisers Hyderabad struggled with their team balance last season, finishing sixth in the table after managing only six victories in 14 matches.
They Are Trusting He’ll Win 2-3 Matches Single-Handedly - Sadagoppan Ramesh on Liam Livingston
Sadagoppan Ramesh stated that the franchise management is hoping Liam Livingstone can single-handedly win multiple matches. However, he warned that relying heavily on inconsistent performers remains dangerous in modern franchise cricket.
"They are trusting that he'll win two to three matches singlehandedly. But he is a very inconsistent player. Today, there are many consistent players in T20 cricket. So to still bet on an inconsistent player is a big risk. Only time will tell if this is a smart move," Ramesh added.
Notably, the English all-rounder went unsold at his base price of ₹2 crore during the initial auction round. If Sunrisers Hyderabad had bid for him earlier, they could have secured his services at a lower price on the same day.
Liam Livingstone Enters IPL 2026 After Disappointing 2025 Season
Liam Livingstone will enter the upcoming tournament following a dismal IPL 2025 campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He managed to score just 112 runs in eight innings at a poor average of 16.00 and a strike rate of 133.33.
In 2025, he played only five T20 Internationals for the England national cricket team and scored 74 runs. He remains out of favour with the national setup, having last played international cricket in March last year.
The right-handed batter brings vast experience, having featured in 340 T20 matches. He has scored over 7,600 runs at an average of 28.00 and a strike rate of 145.00, while also picking up 148 wickets with his leg-spin and off-spin.
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