Anil Kumble, the ex-India captain, shared his thoughts on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) letting go of Liam Livingstone before the IPL 2026 auction. He thinks Livingstone's expensive price tag probably played a part in the decision. Livingstone, who was essential to RCB's IPL 2025 title win, was bought for a large sum of Rs. 8.75 crore in last year’s big auction. Even though he has potential and did well before, the English player didn't have a great season with RCB. He only scored 112 runs in eight innings with a strike rate of 133.33, including one half-century, and took two wickets in nine overs, with an economy rate of 8.44.
Kumble, during a JioStar interview, admitted that letting go of a player like Livingstone is never easy. I liked working with Liam; he was great for Punjab in the 2022 IPL season – probably his best. He can turn a game around quickly with his hitting, Kumble mentioned. He also noted Livingstone's all-around skills: his leg-spin against righties, off-spin against lefties, and good fielding make him a valuable player.
Kumble also noted that Livingstone's RCB stint wasn't great, and he didn't make the England team either, which probably affected things. Also, RCB needed more bowlers. They already have Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, but they need backup, both foreign and Indian, which might be why they let Livingstone go. Saba Karim, the former Indian wicketkeeper-batter and selector, shared his thoughts on RCB's auction moves, especially their choice to let go of young batter Swastik Chikara.
Karim mentioned it's great to call RCB defending champs, finally. Speaking of their auction plans, Karim thinks RCB could try to get Liam Livingstone back in the mini-auction if the price is right. He was surprised that Chikara, who played very well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, didn't get any playtime last season and wasn't kept on the team. Karim believes RCB has chances to pick up some uncapped Indian batsmen in the next auction to toughen up their batting and make the team deeper.
Everyone's watching to see if RCB or another team tries to get Livingstone at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16. His price might be high, but he's a good all-rounder with a history of intense play, so he's still popular in T20. We'll see in the next few weeks if RCB brings him back for less money or if another team grabs him for what he can do.
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