Prior to the Indian Premier League 2026 Auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had to make some difficult choices regarding their group of retained players. Liam Livingstone, an all-rounder, was one of the most prominent players they had to let go. The English cricket player failed to justify his high price tag of INR 8.75 crore during the 2025 season by making no significant contributions.
Anil Kumble, a former RCB and India veteran, thinks the team finally made the right decision because his on-field performance fell short of the potential he offered when he was initially selected for the 2025 campaign.
According to Kumble, who played with Livingstone at Punjab Kings in 2022, the all-rounder is still a game-changer and would probably be in high demand in 2026.
“Decisions about releases are never easy. I had a great time working closely with Liam Livingstone, who was incredibly talented for Punjab in the 2022 Indian Premier League, which was perhaps his greatest season. With his strong batting, he may alter the course of the match in a matter of overs. His versatility as a bowler is what sets him apart; he can bowl leg spin to right-handers and off spin to left-handers. He’s also a superb fielder, so he’s a full package,” Kumble stated via JioStar.
Anil Kumble is the backup that RCB needs to find for Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Looking more closely at the players that RCB has kept, Kumble thinks that even if the nucleus of the reigning champions should be ready in 2026, they will still need to add a few players. Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal handled the majority of the bowling burden in 2025. Kumble wants RCB to select suitable backups for these pacers at the 2026 auction table.
Regretfully, he lost out on being selected for England and had a poor IPL season for RCB the previous year. If not, I have no doubt that he would be sought after by other franchises. The release was probably influenced by his hefty price tag. To complement their primary bowling assault of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, RCB must also identify backup options, both an Indian and an international fast bowler. This difficult decision may also be influenced by the demand for bowling depth,” he continued.
For those who are unaware, the IPL 2026 Auction is scheduled to be in the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on December 16, 2025. With just over 16 crores of purse money left, RCB will go into the event. Therefore, it would be intriguing to observe what kind of lineup the Rajat Patidar-led team decides on for the next round of the lucrative competition.
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