The 29-year-old suffered an ankle injury during a Test match against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in December 2022. He has been out of cricketing action since then and was slated to mark his return by turning up for the PBKS in the IPL. He already missed the opening game of the season in which the team defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and also missed the side’s encounter against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati.

Livingstone was an important member of the Punjab squad last year. He was roped in by the franchise for Rs 11.5 crore in the mega auction prior to the 15th season of the league. The batsman scored 437 runs in 14 matches at an average of 36.42 and strike rate of 182.08. He also rolled over his shoulders occasionally, adding the important all-round element in the PBKS XI. Livingstone picked six wickets in the season, including a three-wicket haul as well.

The player was widely expected to don additional responsibility with the bat for the team in the absence of his fellow countryman Jonny Bairstow this year. His absence gives a pretty inexperienced look to the Punjab middle-order with a lot of pressure falling onto their newly-acquired all-rounder duo of Sikandar Raza and Sam Curran.

However, it is also an opportunity for a certain Shahrukh Khan to finally step up and deliver the required goods for Punjab. The Tamil Nadu big hitter was acquired by PBKS for Rs 9 crore ahead of IPL 2022 but he aggregated only 117 runs at a strike rate of 108.33 in eight games and ended up being dropped from XI. Will Shahrukh fill Livingstone’s role in the coming games? The youngster, much like the Englishman, is a fine leg-spinner as well.