IPL 2025: Why is Liam Livingstone not playing in PBKS vs RCB clash?

In an important game against Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru decided to drop England all-rounder Liam Livingstone. RCB captain Rajat Patidar confirmed this at the toss. Many fans were surprised, but there were some clear reasons behind this move.

Livingstone was bought for ₹8.75 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. He is known for hitting big sixes and bowling useful spin. But in this season, he has not played well. In 6 innings, he scored only 87 runs, with an average of 17.40 and a strike rate of 127.94. His best score was 54. He also hit only 4 fours and 7 sixes, much less than expected.

Livingstone didn’t help much with the ball either. RCB already has two main spinners in Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma, so his bowling wasn’t needed much. Since he didn’t perform well with the bat and wasn’t used much with the ball, the team decided to make a change. RCB needed more from him in the middle overs, but he often got out while trying to hit big shots. This made things harder for the rest of the batting line-up.

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Poor Form with Bat and Ball, Romario Shepherd Comes In

In his place, RCB brought in West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd. He was bought for ₹1.5 crore. Shepherd is a fast bowler and also hits big shots in the lower order. Since the match is being played in the afternoon in Mullanpur, where dew won’t be a big problem, RCB decided to go with pace instead of spin. At the toss, Patidar said, “We're going to bowl first. Wicket looks decent, won't change much. Shepherd comes in for Livi.”

Livingstone has played well in past IPL seasons. In 2022, he scored 437 runs at a strike rate of 182. But this year, his form has dropped. In T20 cricket, form is very important, and right now, Livingstone is struggling. This decision shows that RCB is ready to take bold steps. They want players who are in form and can help them win games. Livingstone may return later in the season, but for now, RCB is hoping that Romario Shepherd can give them the edge.