Liam Livingstone hasn't found enough success in IPL. Image Credits: AFP
Liam Livingstone has yet to crack the IPL, despite being regarded as a T20 specialist. He has represented as many as four teams in a relatively short span, but his returns have largely been underwhelming. More broadly, the English all-rounder hasn’t found much success in T20 cricket recently either.
One reason has been his inability to build on his initial success. As Livingstone played more and more, teams began to identify his limited off-side game and forced him to play predominantly towards this region. Another, and perhaps bigger, factor has been his usage and the way teams have viewed him as a T20 batter.
How to get the best out of Liam Livingstone?
Despite being one of the most ferocious hitters in the game, Liam Livingstone still needs to bat in the upper middle order to maximise his impact in T20s. He has the understanding to construct an innings without compromising his scoring rate, and he is actually quite effective against spin when given enough time to settle in.
Livingstone has consistently produced his best numbers when slotted at No.3 or 4. Since 2025, he has scored 558 runs at an average of 32.82 and a strike rate of 149.59 across 18 innings at No.3, including five fifties. At No.4, meanwhile, he has averaged 34.28 and struck at 154.69 in 30 innings, with five half-centuries.
His returns have dipped significantly when he has batted below these positions. At No.5 or lower, Livingstone has averaged just 18.15 and struck at 119.01 in 23 innings, with only one fifty. He also loses a wicket every 15.25 deliveries.
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The numbers underline a simple point: Livingstone needs a few balls to assess the pace and bounce of the pitch before unleashing his power.
Asking him to attack from the first ball doesn’t necessarily maximise his strengths, even though he is a formidable player against pace. Batting in the top four also gives him more time to settle, which in turn allows him to bring his effectiveness against spin into play.
How IPL teams have not maximised Livingstone's batting value
Liam Livingstone's IPL numbers by batting positions
Unsurprisingly, Liam Livingstone’s most successful IPL phase came in 2022 and 2023, when Punjab Kings (PBKS) predominantly used him at No. 4. Overall, he has scored 655 runs at an average of 28.91 and a strike rate of 164.19 in 25 IPL innings at No. 4, including six half-centuries.
Around 72% of those innings came for PBKS in 2022 and 2023, which remains Livingstone’s best phase in the IPL.
Since the 2025 mega auction, though, he has been nowhere close to his best with the bat. He averaged just 16 and struck at 133.33 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025, while batting at No. 4 only twice throughout the season.
His move to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) offered little respite either. Livingstone got only two opportunities with the bat, one of them coming at No. 8.
Neither franchise had enough room to accommodate him in his preferred positions, with several established players already occupying the top and middle order. That has brought him to a point where his place in the IPL is no longer guaranteed.
His modest returns over the last couple of seasons are difficult for an IPL franchise to overlook, particularly when he occupies an overseas slot.
His off-spin, despite offering useful defensive control, is unlikely to be enough to justify his selection as an all-rounder, especially on the generally placid IPL surfaces.
Teams have repeatedly invested heavily in Livingstone’s IPL services. After PBKS paid INR 11.50 crore for him, RCB bought him for INR 8.75 crore in 2025, before SRH paid his highest-ever IPL price of INR 13 crore in 2026.
But with his returns failing to match those investments, franchises may now be increasingly reluctant to take the gamble on his inconsistency in the upcoming editions.
Why SRH should release Livingstone and which team could try him in IPL 2027
SRH might release Liam Livingstone ahead of IPL 2027. He has looked like a misfit in their setup, and his acquisition last year was questionable from the outset.
SRH already had a crowded top five, with several Indian options waiting in the wings, making it difficult to see where Livingstone would fit.
The fact that he got only two batting opportunities despite multiple unavailability and injury concerns perhaps sums up his predicament.
Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen are well settled, while Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, and Salil Arora provide other strong options. There simply isn’t enough room for Livingstone to bat where he is most effective.
With Pat Cummins also occupying one of the overseas slots, SRH’s combination becomes even more difficult to tweak. Releasing Livingstone would therefore make sense, while also freeing up a substantial portion of their purse to pursue other options at the mini auction.
A couple of other teams could potentially give Livingstone another chance. Gujarat Titans (GT), for instance, could acquire him at a more reasonable price and use him in the middle order. Glenn Phillips hasn’t offered the desired consistency, while Tom Banton doesn’t provide the same bowling value.
That leaves Washington Sundar as their primary spin-bowling option in the middle order, but GT could certainly use more depth in that department. Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia haven’t been reliable enough either. Livingstone could therefore fit the role nicely while also providing useful bowling support alongside Rashid Khan.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) could be another potential destination. With Rishabh Pant now out of the picture, they may need a spin-bowling all-rounder capable of contributing in the middle order. Wanindu Hasaranga filled a similar role last season before being ruled out and replaced by George Linde.
LSG could still use a stronger option in that department, and Livingstone could potentially solve two problems with one player. However, wherever he ends up, the key will be using him correctly.
He needs to be given enough responsibility and the best possible batting position to bring his strengths into play. Otherwise, the same story from the last two seasons could repeat itself, with Livingstone’s considerable T20 potential going to waste.
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