Former RCB Player Reveals Why the Franchise Released Liam Livingstone

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have made a few releases too ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. And this also includes the name of Liam Livingstone, who played the majority of the games for the team last season. Former RCB captain reveals why the team has released Livingstone ahead of the auction.

1. Anil Kumble on Livingstone

He said that the performance expectations were at par by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But Livingstone failed to deliver well to the team consistently, due to which the management had to make a decision to release him. For the second consecutive season, Livingstone has been released by his team.

It should be noted that Anil Kumble has also spent time with Liam Livingstone. He was a part of Punjab Kings coaching department from 2022, where he spent time with Livingstone. Kumble said that Livingstone remains a game changer in the IPL, and he will be attracting high bids

Kumble also noted the fact that RCB is having less bowling options to the core. The team does have Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, but they do not have players who could be a proper backup for the team in their absence. He said that the team should target some good pace bowling backup options for the upcoming season in the auction.

Anil Kumble further said,“Unfortunately, he didn't have a great IPL season for RCB last year and also missed out on selection for England. Otherwise, I'm sure other franchises would be interested in him. His high price tag was likely a factor in the release. RCB also needs to find backup options, both an overseas fast bowler and an Indian fast bowler to support their main bowling attack of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. This need for bowling depth might be another reason behind this tough call.”

Liam Livingstone has played for three teams in the Indian Premier League. He started off by playing the tournament for Rajasthan Royals, and played two seasons for them. Following this, he got released by the team for getting inconsistent opportunities, and was brought by Punjab Kings to their line-up.

Liam Livingstone in IPL (Batting)

This came in as a turning point for Liam Livingstone in his IPL career. In IPL 2022, he was able to deliver his best performances with the bat for Punjab Kings, playing a crucial role for them. He ended up scoring 437 runs for the team in 14 matches at a strike rate of 182, showcasing his aggressive striking abilities.

Liam Livingstone in IPL (Bowling)

But when Livingstone started to receive consistent opportunities, his performances fell down. He went on to play just 9 and 7 matches respectively for Punjab Kings in the next two seasons before being released. Following this, he was bought by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Mega Auction, and played a season for them. This is also the time when Livingstone finally laid his hands on an IPL trophy.