NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore picked up swashbuckling Liam Livingstone for a whopping Rs 8.75 crore at the recently concluded mega auction in Jeddah.
In an intense bidding war, RCB pipped Chennai Super Kings to secure the services of England all-rounder after he was not retained by Punjab Kings.
Livingstone recently expressed his excitement after being picked up by RCB, stating that the team aligns well with his playing style.
"The fan base is very passionate. It's probably one of the biggest franchises in IPL... It's a bit of a fresh start for me," Livingstone was quoted as saying by Reuters.
"I think Bangalore is going to be very good for my game. It's a little bit smaller than some of the stadiums in India, certainly better than what Punjab was for me. Hopefully, my game should suit that place well."
Livingstone made his IPL debut in 2019 with Rajasthan Royals and then spent the past three seasons with Punjab Kings, where he amassed 827 runs.
Thrilled about the opportunity at RCB, Livingstone said he is eager to play for the franchise, particularly at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, known for its shorter boundaries and high-scoring games.
The 31-year-old also reminisced about watching RCB’s legendary batting trio of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers on television.
Now, Livingstone looks forward to making an impact alongside Kohli and fellow Englishman Phil Salt, whom RCB signed for ?11.5 crore, as they aim for their maiden IPL title.
"I think we had a really good auction. We've got some good players, we picked up quite cleverly," he said.
"There's a few people in that team I know really well, so I'm pretty excited to get out there as a group. Playing with the likes of Virat is going to be really cool."
