On Wednesday, April 5, while Punjab Kings were playing Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, their hard-hitting English recruit Liam Livingstone was practicing at Old Trafford. On Thursday, he was seen going around the Manchester ground while Lancashire were engaged with a county game against Surrey.

Evidently, the time he was scheduled to arrive in India for the IPL 2023 has passed, and the Punjab Kings do not yet know exactly when the daring batsman will join the Mohali team.

“He will be here next week,”

said a PBKS official after the team’s win, over Rajasthan Royals, second in as many games.

According to inquiries conducted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Lancashire County Cricket Club (LCCC), the arrival of Livingstone, who was purchased for INR 11.5 crores in the 2022 auction for his all-round abilities, may not occur until the middle of April.

“He’s due to arrive mid-April. He is coming along nicely.”

an ECB official told Cricbuzz on Thursday. 

Livingstone appears to not be 100%, and he has been working on his fitness with his LCCC teammates. He has not played competitive cricket since December due to injuries to his knee and ankle.

“He is still working through his rehab on the injury. He is currently working on his rehab at Old Trafford. He will be in India around April 15, the dates are fluid,”

the ECB official said.

Addressing Sky Sports on Thursday night, Livingstone said he is expecting clinical freedom in the following two or three days to travel to India.

“Looking forward to a good IPL season,”

the all-rounder said on live television following which indicates he could arrive before the 15th of this month.

Livingstone has been encouraging his PBKS teammates from afar through posts on social media before and after their IPL games so far. However, the franchise would be looking for his expertise in fielding and the bat’s firepower, which is crucial to the side’s middle-order.

PBKS IPL 2023 Squad: Liam Livingstone to join next week, Rabada available

• As he goes through rehab, Liam Livingstone will miss a few more games.
• Kagiso Rabada has joined the squad and will be available for the Sunrisers game. 
• Bhanuka Rajapaksa is also fit and is likely to be available for the Hyderabad match. 
• The England star will join the squad next week. PBKS expects him to be cleared by the ECB.

The Shikhar Dhawan side offer the best position in the focuses table with Gujarat Titans with four places. On April 9, they will play another away match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.