Liam Livingstone quits IPL 2021 due to 'bubble fatigue'

Rajasthan Royals batsman Liam Livingstone has cut short his IPL gig to fly back home citing issues of "bubble fatigue".

Liam Livingstone quits IPL 2021 due to 'bubble fatigue'

Livingstone has constantly been a part of several bio-secure bubbles over the past 10 months, causing him to take this drastic decision midway through the tournament.


"Liam Livingstone has flown back home late last night, due to bubble fatigue accumulated over the past year. We understand and respect his decision, and will continue supporting him in any way we can," Rajasthan Royals wrote in a tweet.


The Englishman had not participated in any of the Royals' three games thus far in the competition with his last IPL appearance coming two years ago against Delhi Capitals.


Livingstone's association with 'bubble cricket' began when he was named a member of the extended list of individuals announced by the ECB to train for the international home season. Since November 2020, he has been away from home as he travelled alongside the England squad for the South Africa tour.


He then joined Perth Scorchers for the Big Bash League, where he was the second-leading run-getter for his franchise with 426 runs at an average of 30.42.


Livingstone's BBL stint was followed by his involvement in England's white-ball assignment in India. The 27-year-old made an impact with a couple of feisty cameos in the India ODIs before staying back to play in the IPL.


Livingstone's sudden absence limits the Royals' options for overseas picks as Ben Stokes has already been ruled out of the tournament due to a broken finger while Jofra Archer is not available for the initial phase.


Jos Buttler, Chris Morris, David Miller, Mustafizur Rahman and Andrew Tye are the remaining foreign recruits in Rajasthan's lineup.


The step taken by Livingstone is not unheard of in IPL 2021 as the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Joshua Philippe and Mitchell Marsh all withdrew before the start of the competition.


Earlier, English players Tom Banton and Tom Curran left the BBL bubble citing concerns about the mental exhaustion from the enclosed bio-secure environment.