Former Team India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh talked about the price tag of English all-rounder Liam Livingstone ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Ramesh said that even the destructive batsman himself must have been surprised when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) bought him in the auction.
SRH management spent ₹13 crore during the recent auction to buy the 32-year-old cricketer. While he emerged as their most expensive signing, the Hyderabad franchise secured Jack Edwards for ₹3 crore and Salil Arora for ₹1.50 crore while finalizing their squad for the marquee tournament.
Liam Livingstone must have been surprised to get such a high price – Sadagoppan Ramesh
Speaking on Star Sports about SRH signing Liam Livingstone, Sadagoppan Ramesh said that franchises often overpay after a poor individual campaign, hoping that the player will rediscover his peak batting form during the tournament.
Ramesh told Star Sports, “So many people are leaving for him that might have surprised even them. Many franchises pick such cricketers even after a bad season with the assumption that they will return to form next season. It is a double-edged sword.”
The franchise had signed the English all-rounder during the auction last year. Notably, Sunrisers Hyderabad struggled with their team balance last season, finishing sixth in the table after securing only six wins in 14 matches.
He is confident that he will single-handedly win 2-3 matches – Sadagoppan Ramesh on Liam Livingston
Sadagoppan Ramesh said that the franchise management is hoping that Liam Livingstone can win many matches single-handedly. However, he warned that relying too much on inconsistent performers remains dangerous in modern franchise cricket.
Ramesh further said, “He is confident that he will single-handedly win two to three matches. But he is a very inconsistent player. Today, there are many consistent players in T20 cricket. So it is still a big risk to bet on an inconsistent player. Only time will tell if it is a smart move.”
Notably, the English all-rounder went unsold at his base price of ₹2 crore during the initial auction round. If Sunrisers Hyderabad had bid for him earlier, they could have acquired his services at a lower price on the same day.
Liam Livingstone enters IPL 2026 after a disappointing 2025 season
Liam Livingstone will be entering the upcoming tournament after a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He managed to score just 112 runs in eight innings at a poor average of 16.00 and a strike rate of 133.33.
In 2025, he played only five T20 Internationals for the England national cricket team and scored 74 runs. He is out of the national team, having last played international cricket in March last year.
The right-handed batsman has extensive experience having played in 340 T20 matches. He has scored over 7,600 runs at an average of 28.00 and a strike rate of 145.00, while also taking 148 wickets with his leg-spin and off-spin.
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