He scored only 112 runs and scalped two wickets in 10 matches during IPL 2025.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), may release Liam Livingstone ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Though the franchise ended their 17-year-long wait for the IPL trophy, the England all-rounder endured a tough outing in the recently ended edition.
After his three-year stint with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) since IPL 2022, RCB acquired the English player for INR 8.75 crore. However, Livingstone couldn’t replicate the value of his performance this season. He managed to score only 112 runs and scalped two wickets in 10 matches. His only half-century came against the Gujarat Titans at a strike rate of 135 (54 runs off 40 balls).
RCB’s Tim David and Romario Shepherd performed extremely well, scoring half-centuries when the team needed it the most. Though the English all-rounder holds high impact value, his chances of staying with the Bengaluru outfit seem low.
Let’s take a look at the three IPL teams, which might look to add Livingstone to their squad if RCB releases him ahead of the IPL 2026.
The five-time IPL champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), staged a stunning turnaround this season. After a bottom-place finish in the IPL 2024, they started the latest edition similarly. With only one win in the initial five fixtures, many felt that MI were going to face the same outcome as the previous season. However, skipper Hardik Pandya and Co. proved it to be otherwise. They amassed a six-match winning streak and went on to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs. But a five-wicket defeat against PBKS in Qualifier 2 denied them a record sixth title win.
Alongside Mitchell Santner and Karn Sharma, MI may be on the lookout for a spin all-rounder option ahead of the IPL 2026. Apart from Suryakumar Yadav, MI’s batting order looked weak. Furthermore, apart from the skipper himself, MI have had a tough time replacing Kieron Pollard’s exploits for the blue and gold outfit. Thus, they might target Liam Livingstone in the upcoming player auction.
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The IPL 2024 champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), had a disastrous season in the IPL 2025. They not only failed to defend their title, but also managed to win just five matches out of 12 league-stage fixtures (two matches were washed out due to rain). Several players were out of form, and the team also struggled to finalise their ultimate playing combination.
In search of an extra batter in the lower order, they played the West Indies big-hitter Rovman Powell in a few matches. But the finisher only scored five runs in two matches before being ruled out of the league. The Men in Purple could look towards Livingstone to fill in that place.
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have also had a below-par season in the IPL 2025. With six victories and eight losses, Rishabh Pant and Co. have finished the season seventh in the points table. While three of their overseas stars, including Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and Aiden Markram, have had a remarkable season for LSG, the veteran South African batter David Miller could not put up a noteworthy performance.
Marsh, Pooran, and Markram scored 627, 524, and 445 runs for the franchise, respectively. In contrast, Miller only managed to put up 153 runs in 11 matches, with a highest score of 27 not out. His strike rate also dropped to 127.50. The former ICC No.1 all-rounder, Liam Livingstone, could replace the Proteas batter in the LSG squad ahead of IPL 2026.
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