IPL 2021: 'Fresh' Liam Livingstone raring to deliver for Rajasthan Royals in UAE

English all-rounder Liam Livingstone who represents Rajasthan Royals in the IPL has been in scintillating form and is confident of making an impact. The player was one of the players to pull out of the competition mid-way. Liam Livingstone returned to England after staying with the team for the first four games wherein he wasn’t part of the playing XI. The player returned home to spend some time with his family.

Speaking to Press Trust of India, Livingstone defended his decision to return back to home mid-way through the tournament and feels he is in better headspace ahead of the second phase of the IPL 2021. He said, “Last time was very different as we were stuck in a hotel room in Mumbai and I was already five to six months away from home during the winters. This is different as I have spent a lot of time over at home during the last few months and it was nice to get refreshed. I feel a lot fresher than what I did last time. Also, in Dubai, we have got a little more outdoor space and guess we can do a little bit more getting out than what we could have done in the middle of Mumbai. So last time, I made the right decision and so I do feel a lot fresher this time."

Livingstone is hopeful of making an impact for Rajasthan Royals

Livingstone will play a key role for the Royals in IPL 2021. Jos Buttler has pulled out of the competition and in his absence, Livingstone could make an impact as the Royals are at the fifth spot in the points table. He is in prime form in white-ball cricket and will be looking to have a similar impact in IPL.

Livingstone’s hard-hitting ability has earned him a place in England’s squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, scheduled to be played in UAE from October 17. The right-handed dynamic player sees IPL as the perfect preparation for the T20 World Cup, starting 2 days after the completion of IPL 2021. He said, “There is no better preparation than playing matches on the pitches on which you will be playing World T20 and I guess that’s the nice part of it.”

“We have a lot of our guys coming on to play competitive cricket leading up to the World Cup and there will be 10 of us who will be here. Hopefully, I can perform for Royals and take the team to the playoffs,” he concluded.

Image: Instagram/@liaml4893