Liam Livingstone Struggles Raise Concerns for RCB
The poor form of Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone has raised concerns about RCB's chances in the IPL 2025, with the franchise's dependence on England players being questioned. Aakash Chopra has suggested that the team could consider using other overseas players, and the franchise will be hoping that their key players can find their form soon.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) preparations for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season have hit a roadblock with two of their key foreign recruits, Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone, struggling to find form in the Champions Trophy 2025. The duo's poor performance has raised concerns for the franchise, which had invested heavily in acquiring their services.
RCB had spent a significant amount of their budget on Salt and Livingstone, with the former being bought for INR 11.5 crores and the latter for INR 8.75 crores. However, their returns have been disappointing so far, with Salt managing just 30 runs in 3 games at an average of 10.0, and Livingstone scoring 33 runs in 3 innings at 11.0. This has led to questions about the franchise's decision to bet on the English duo, with former cricketer Aakash Chopra expressing his concerns.
Chopra noted that RCB's dependence on England players could hurt them in the IPL 2025, especially with Jacob Bethell out due to injury. He suggested that the franchise could consider using other overseas players like Tim David and Josh Hazlewood in place of the struggling England players. Chopra also criticized Phil Salt's form, saying it had disappeared after he was picked by RCB, and expressed concerns about Liam Livingstone's reckless playing style, which has not lived up to his reputation.
The franchise's season is expected to be affected if Salt and Livingstone do not find their form soon. With the IPL 2025 season approaching, RCB will be hoping that their key players can turn their form around and deliver the goods. The team's fans will be keeping a close eye on the duo's performance in the coming days, hoping that they can justify the investment made in them.
