Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be playing their IPL 2023 opening match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 1 in Mohali, but they have been dealt a huge blow as they will be missing their star all-rounder for this important clash.
England's power-hitter Liam Livingstone will miss the opening game for PBKS as he is yet to get a fitness clearance from the ECB after recovering from a knee injury he suffered in December. It was during the Pakistan Test tour last year when Livingstone hurt his knee in his debut Test and since then he has not played competitive cricket.
"He is out of the first game at least as the ECB is conducting scans to determine his fitness status. He should be available from the second game onwards,” a source told PTI.
Livingstone on Wednesday posted a video on social media where he is seen batting in the nets.
He was a vital cog for PBKS last season as he amassed 437 runs in 14 games at an average of 36.42 and a sensational strike rate of 182.08. He has also played 12 ODIs and 29 T20Is for England and has the record for the fastest century in T20Is for England.
He had also picked up six wickets with his mixture of off-spin and leg-break in 2022, when Punjab finished sixth for the fourth season in a row.
Besides Livingstone, the team will also miss the services of premier pacer Kagiso Rabada, who will skip the KKR game due to national duty. He is expected to reach India on April 3, just two day before PBKS’ next game against RR.
(PTI inputs)
