Samira Vishwas
Tezzbuzz|28-05-2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Liam Livingstone faced the wrath of fans on social media after registering a golden duck against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday at Ekana Stadium. Chasing a mammoth 228-run target in a high-stakes contest to ensure a top-two finish, Livingstone, who was picked in the XI in place of injured Tim David, failed to make any impact with the bat.
The Englishman, bought for a whopping INR 8.75 crore in the mega auction, has had a season to forget with the bat, scoring 87 runs so far. He also lost his place in the XI ahead of the forced break earlier this month, but the injury to David and Jacob Bethell’s departure for his national duties pushed RCB to call him back in the XI on Tuesday.
It was the last ball of the eighth over, and William O’Rourke, who dismissed Rajat Patidar on the fifth delivery, bowled a tad bit full, to which Livingstone went for a flick but got plumb in front of the wicket.
The star all-rounder was trolled massively on X for his repeated failures as the fans went berserk when he fell cheaply in the important clash on Tuesday.
Earlier, asked to bat first, riding on Rishabh Pant’s incredible century, LSG posted a mammoth 227/3 in their last match of the season. Pant, who endured a tough IPL season, finished it on a high with a blistering 54-ball century to silence his doubters.
Pant (118* off 61 balls, 11 fours, 8 sixes) and Mitchell Marsh (67 off 37) forged a commanding 152-run partnership for the second wicket, capitalizing on a batting-friendly surface and RCB’s erratic bowling to put the Super Giants in a dominant position. Pant had scored his first IPL ton against Sunrisers Hyderabad while he was with Delhi Capitals in the 2018 season.
Until this innings, Pant had endured a tough season, managing a strike rate of just 107. His prolonged struggles with the bat had significantly affected Lucknow’s campaign, making his explosive return to form all the more crucial.