Harbhajan, Pathan explode on live TV after Livingstone's bizarre act vs RR, say ‘will never pick him in IPL’
Despite what was a decent season for Livingstone, Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan were left furious at him for his bizarre act in an IPL 2023 match against RR.
Liam Livingstone has been Punjab Kings' most crucial and effective batter in their otherwise poor campaign in 2022 and 2023. He scored 437 runs in 14 innings last season while picking six wickets as well, where PBKS finished sixth. In the ongoing season, he hit 279 runs in nine matches laced with two fifties which includes a knock of 94, as PBKS finished eighth on the table on Friday after losing to Rajasthan Royals in Dharamsala. Despite what was a decent season for the England star, former India cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan were left furious at Livingstone for his bizarre actions in the match against RR.
Unlike the previous games, Livingstone failed to make much of an impact against Rajasthan Royals as he was dismissed for just 9 runs off 13 balls by Navdeep Saini. It happened in the seventh over when Saini, playing only his second game this season, delivered a back-of-the-length ball that nipped back in sharply. Livingstone swung hard at it but failed to make any contact as the ball rattled onto the stumps.
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It was PBKS' fourth dismissal for just 50 runs leaving the home team in grave danger in a do-or-die match. However, Livingstone was laughing at his own dismissal and the act left commentators Harbhajan and Pathan furious as they exploded on-air.
“If we were coach, captain or mentor of Punjab Kings and you laugh after getting out to that sort of a shot then we will never pick you (to play in IPL) again,” said Pathan as Harbhajan agreed to it. The latter was in fact baffled at Livingstone's act after the PBKS batter was dismissed cheaply.
{{/usCountry}}“If we were coach, captain or mentor of Punjab Kings and you laugh after getting out to that sort of a shot then we will never pick you (to play in IPL) again,” said Pathan as Harbhajan agreed to it. The latter was in fact baffled at Livingstone's act after the PBKS batter was dismissed cheaply.
{{/usCountry}}Generally, a batter never laughs at his own dismissal or that of his teammates. Even if he does, it mostly is a reflection of his frustration. Harbhajan and Pathan, however, were not amused.
{{/usCountry}}Generally, a batter never laughs at his own dismissal or that of his teammates. Even if he does, it mostly is a reflection of his frustration. Harbhajan and Pathan, however, were not amused.
{{/usCountry}}After Livingstone's dismissal, Jitesh Sharma provided some resistance with his 28-ball 44 before a fiery 73-run stand between Sam Curran and Shahrukh Khan saw PBKS finish with 187 for five. Curran smashed four boundaries and two sixes in his 31-ball 49 while the latter scored 41 off 23 with as many boundaries.
{{/usCountry}}After Livingstone's dismissal, Jitesh Sharma provided some resistance with his 28-ball 44 before a fiery 73-run stand between Sam Curran and Shahrukh Khan saw PBKS finish with 187 for five. Curran smashed four boundaries and two sixes in his 31-ball 49 while the latter scored 41 off 23 with as many boundaries.
{{/usCountry}}In reply, RR lost Jos Buttle in the second over. He registered his third consecutive duck and fifth for the season, before Devdutt Padikkal and Yashasvi Jaiswal struck a 73-run stand, with the former scoring a fifty as the visitors revived. The latter too completed a fifty, his sixth half-century plus this season as he reached the milestone of 600 runs as well.
Eventually, it was Shimron Hetmyer's 28-ball 44 that helped RR complete a four-wicket win which now keeps the team mathematically alive in the race to the playoffs.
