Royals IPL call for Liam

LANCASHIRE’S Liam Livingstone has been snapped up by the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL draft.

The big-hitting batsman, who secured a place in England’s T20 squad for next month’s tour of India after impressing in Australia’s Big Bash, makes a return to the Royals after being bought for £74,000.

England’s Moeen Ali was sold to Chennai Super Kings for £700,000 in the opening round of the auction, as South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris fetched a record £1.6m bid by Livingstone’s Royals.

Moeen, who departed the England squad in India following the second Test to take up a pre-determined period of rest, found himself at the centre of a battle between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai.

The 33-year-old, who had spent the past two years with Royal Challengers Bangalore, fills the Super Kings’ final overseas spot and will join England teammate Sam Curran at the IPL franchise when the competition takes place from April to June.

England batsman Dawid Malan, number one in the world Twenty20 rankings, is set to play for Punjab following a successful bid of almost £150,000.

England all-rounder Tom Curran was purchased by Delhi Capitals for a fee of almost £520,000. Sam Billings heads to Delhi Capitals for £197,000.

However, Alex Hales, Jason Roy, spinner Adil Rashid and 2019 World Cup winner Liam Plunkett all went unsold.

Australian Steve Smith, not retained by the Rajasthan Royals, was the first player sold in the auction, to Delhi Capitals for £220,000, while Lancashire batsman Glenn Maxwell will join Royal Challengers Bangalore for £1.4m.

Eight English players - including white-ball captain Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer and Lancashire’s Jos Buttler - were retained by their respective franchises.