Liam Livingstone will miss the Punjab Kings’ match on Sunday against Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, he might arrive in India in time to make his resumption from his injury and play against Gujarat Titans on April 13.
Since his Test debut against Pakistan in Rawalpindi four months ago, Livingstone hasn’t played a competitive match. He has also missed the Kings’ early matches due to a flare-up of his ankle injury from the Hundred last year.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the Kings anticipate Livingstone’s arrival on April 10, the day after their match in Hyderabad. On Thursday afternoon, Livingstone expressed his optimism that the ECB will grant him permission to travel in the coming 48 hours or so.
Livingstone stated that he would be traveling to India on LancsTV’s coverage of Lancashire’s first County Championship match against Surrey. Perhaps by the end of this week or the beginning of the following week, he will fly to India and resume his journey.
He reported that he is now feeling improved. He received injections in the middle of last week. It has significantly calmed things down, and he can finally run outside and return to normal cricket activities. Approximately four or five days have passed, and he is now attempting to regain match fitness.
Livingstone stated that the specifics of his travel plans are “the million-dollar question,” but he anticipates ECB approval imminently. He further added that he hopes to receive authorization to travel within the next few days.
Livingstone was retained on a deal worth INR 11.5 crore (approx. £1.15m) after a successful first season with the Kings in 2022. He scored 437 runs with a strike rate of 182.08 & contributed six wickets; he is anticipated to slide into their middle order.
Kings have won their 1st two IPL 2023 matches, defeating Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati and in Mohali Kolkata Knight Riders with the same four international players: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, and Nathan Ellis.
Kagiso Rabada has come to India and will be present for Sunday’s match in Hyderabad. Matt Short, who removed the unwell Jonny Bairstow from the Kings’ squad, is the only other international player they currently have available. Franchises are permitted up to eight foreign players, but the Kings only inked seven for 2023.
Rajapaksa was struck on the forearm by the shot from Shikhar Dhawan when positioned at the non-end striker position on Wednesday evening. However, he should be ready on Sunday if needed. He tweeted later that evening that his X-rays revealed no fractures or fractured bones!
In the past two years, Livingstone has become an integral component of England’s white-ball squad, and he is likely to play a role in their October-November defense of the 50-over World Cup. He feels that exposure to Indian conditions will be beneficial in preparation for the upcoming tournament.
Livingstone stated that many English youths are acquiring valuable experience in the IPL at present. He added that he spoke with Sam Curran after the contest. Sam Curran said that the ball reminded him of a bar of soap. Livingstone thinks it’s a positive experience for Sam and England moving forward in eight months; it could be similar in a World Cup semifinal.
Lastly he said that it is a wonderful experience for the boys who are currently out there. He hopes they are prepared well; they have a large number of players on the pitch, which is excellent: they have an incredibly balanced team right now, whereas we have a great deal of talent within their group. Everyone enjoys spending time with one another in this company’s pleasant atmosphere. So stated that he hopes India will succeed by the year’s end.
