Cricket expert Aakash Chopra has praised Liam Livingstone as he almost single-handedly won the match for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their encounter against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He smashed 60 runs off just 32 deliveries to help PBKS post a total of 180/8 after being asked to bat first. He then picked up two wickets also and claimed two catches as the defending champions were bundled out for 126 runs.

While reviewing the match in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said: “Punjab Kings had bought Liam Livingstone after paying a huge amount. He has deposited the first EMI because this encounter was entirely in Liam Livingstone’s name. He was absolutely stellar – bat, ball, fielding – I mean there was nothing that he couldn’t do, only flying was left. He was the lord of all lords.”

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However, Liam Livingstone joined Shikhar Dhawan in the crease when the Punjab Kings lost their first two wickets within just 14 runs. He took on every bowler, especially Mukesh Choudhary, who he smacked for three fours and two sixes in the fifth over of the innings as well.

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“When he came to bat, two wickets had fallen quickly – first Mayank Agarwal and then Bhanuka Rajapaksa had gotten run out. They were two down for nothing. The way Livingstone started hitting after that, there was an over from Mukesh Choudhary, he hit a string of sixes and fours in that. The only difference between him and Jos Buttler is that Jos tapers off a little, that he will score a century, will play long. Liam Livingstone thinks he will hit every ball to Churchgate, Wankhede or Marine Drive. First he did the job in the batting, then you see his bowling, off-spin at times, leg-spin at other times, picked up wickets. If nothing was left, he took catches. He single-handedly defeated CSK,” Aakash Chopra concluded.