England’s Liam Livingstone, the powerful batsman, has been ruled out of the first IPL 2023 match for Punjab Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) due to fitness concerns. The ECB hasn’t given him clearance to play after he recovered from a knee injury he sustained in December. Livingstone is a crucial part of the Punjab Kings team due to his all-around skills. However, he hasn’t played any competitive cricket since the injury. The 29-year-old had already hurt his ankle the previous year while competing in the Hundred at home.
Livingstone’s absence will undoubtedly be a blow to Punjab Kings, who will take on KKR on April 1 at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali in their IPL season opener. He had a brilliant IPL season last year, scoring 437 runs in 14 games at an incredible strike rate of 182.08 and an average of 36.42. He also claimed six wickets with his off-spin and leg-breaks. In 12 ODIs and 29 T20s, he has represented England and is well-known for his powerful hitting ability.
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While the ECB is conducting scans to determine his fitness status, an IPL source has confirmed that Livingstone won’t be available for the first game at least. The source also added that he should be available from the second game onwards. Livingstone shared a video of himself hitting the nets on social media on Wednesday, which shows that he is doing his best to recover in time for the IPL.
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Punjab Kings will also be without the services of top pacer Kagiso Rabada, who will miss the KKR encounter due to national duty. Rabada will participate in the T20 championship game between South Africa and the West Indies in Johannesburg on Tuesday. He is expected to arrive in India two days before the away match against the Rajasthan Royals on April 3.
Despite the absence of Livingstone and Rabada, Punjab Kings have a strong squad and are determined to start their IPL campaign on a high note. The highest-paid player in IPL history and fellow Englishman Sam Curran has already joined the Punjab team, adding depth and balance to their squad. It will be interesting to see how Punjab Kings cope with the absence of Livingstone and Rabada as they seek to secure their first IPL title.