'Livingstone is perfect buy for Punjab Kings'

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan reckons that Liam Livingstone is a perfect buy for the Punjab Kings and the English player will hold the franchise in good stead.

Livingstone was picked by Punjab Kings for Rs 11.5 crore on Day 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction on Sunday.

"I think he deserves it. A lot of people might not agree with that, but I predicted that nearly two months ago because of the kind of skill set he has got. He's a batter, he's got fast hands, amazing wrists, and at one point of time, I think a couple of seasons back - he was the No. 2 six-hitter in the world, especially when it comes to T20 cricket," said Pathan on Star Sports' show 'Cricket Live -- IPL Auction Special.

"Most importantly, he can actually bowl leg-spin if a right-hand batter comes and he can bowl off-spin when a left-hand batter comes. If you're smart and can manage him, he will be very good. So, a perfect buy," he added.

West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith was picked up by Punjab Kings for Rs 6 crore while Proteas pacer Marco Jansen was acquired by SunRisers Hyderabad for Rs 4.2 crore. India all-rounder Shivam Dube was picked up by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 4 crore.

India off-spinner K Gowtham was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 90 lakh. Earlier, England all-rounder Liam Livingstone on Sunday was picked by Punjab Kings for Rs 11.50 crore. Meanwhile, India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, England skipper Eoin Morgan. Australia skipper Aaron Finch went unsold in the first round of bidding.

The Day 2 of the mega auction began with teams bidding for South African batter Aiden Markram. The right-handed batter was sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for Rs 2.6 crore.

Also, India batter Mandeep Singh was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 1.1 crore.

Day 1 of the IPL 2022 mega auction saw Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, and Deepak Chahar being among the top picks. Kishan was picked by Mumbai Indians for Rs 15.25 crore, while Chahar was sold to Chennai Super Kings for Rs 14 crore.

Kolkata Knight Riders bought Iyer for Rs 12.25 crore and on the other hand, Avesh Khan became the most expensive pick among the uncapped players after being bought for Rs 10 crore by Lucknow Super Giants.