IPL 2024: Liam Livingstone leaves Punjab Kings to focus on knee rehab before T20 World Cup

Star England all-rounder Liam Livingstone has decided to leave IPL 2024 early to get his knee ‘sorted’ before the T20 World Cup. He has suffered multiple muscle-related injuries in his career and even during the ongoing tournament, the English cricketer missed a couple of games owing to injuries.

Revealing his decision to leave PBKS early, Livingstone on his Instagram account mentioned his recent battle with a knee injury and thanked all the fans for their love and support throughout the course of the season. The star all-rounder also mentioned that it was a tough campaign for them, as Punjab are currently at the bottom of the table, but he loved every minute of playing in the IPL.

“IPL done for another year, had to get my knee sorted for the upcoming World Cup. Thanks once again to the Punjab Kings fans for all their love and support. Disappointing season as a team and personally, but as always I loved every minute of playing in the IPL,” he wrote on Instagram.

Check Livingstone's Instagram post:

As per ESPNcricinfo, Livingstone’s knee injury isn’t a serious one and the player is expected to be fit for the T20 World Cup, which is slated to begin on June 01. Notably, the Three Lions will be playing against Pakistan in a four-match T20I series before travelling to the Caribbean and the USA, and it currently remains uncertain if the all-rounder would participate in it.

Notably, Livingstone ends his IPL campaign with seven matches, in which he made 111 runs at a strike rate of 142.30. With the ball, the 30-year-old picked up just three wickets. His form is currently under scrutiny, and if the cricketer fails to improve, his spot in the playing XI in England may get compromised.

Meanwhile, his national teammates, Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Will Jacks, Sam Curran and Reece Topley are expected to fly back to England later in the week, after the completion of the league stage fixtures in the cash-rich league.