Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) hogged the limelight during the IPL 2026 auction by acquiring the services of England all-rounder Liam Livingstone for a whopping sum of ₹13 crores. The IPL 2026 auction was conducted on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. Teams such as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Gujarat Titans (GT) expressed interest but withdrew soon after. The real fight ensued between SRH and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), with both engaging in a serious bidding battle before SRH won the contract. The signing of Livingstone, who had been let go by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2025, stunned everyone as he was one of the most sought-after players of the draft. However, the fact that he is a hard hitting batter and a part-time bowler means his purchase might raise a few eyebrows. Livingstone did not meet the required bidding amount and went unsold in the first round of the auction. He was sold in the auction for a price of ₹2 crore, which might be a bit high considering the kind of performance he is having. Also Read | IPL’s Fresh Faces: The Most Exciting Uncapped Buys in 2026 Mini Auction 3 Key Reasons SRH’s ₹13 Crore Gamble on Livingstone Looks Wrong Livingstone’s recent form did not justify the club paying this amount. One major worry regarding the new signing is Livingstone’s patchy performance before the auction. Playing for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) in the ILT20, he performed decently in only two innings out of a total of six. Livingstone scored 187 runs at an incredible strike rate of 158.47 but did not contribute a single thing in terms of bowling. In the IPL in the year 2025, he failed to impress with his performances for RCB. He could aggregate only 112 runs in eight matches at an average of 16.00. In the international matches of T20 in the year 2025, he could score only 74 runs in five matches and picked up only one wicket with an economy rate of over 10. Looking at these figures, the price of ₹13 crores seems to be higher. SRH could have purchased him for a cheaper price if they would have shown some interest earlier. The teams have mostly resisted buying him because of his fluctuating performance, but SRH chose to spend during the later stages. Livingstone May Not Fit into SRH’s Playing Combination Another significant aspect is the place of Livingstone within their playing XI at SRH. They already have three regular foreign players for the IPL 2026: Travis Head (Opener) Heinrich Klaasen (Middle Order/Final Over Pat Cummins (Captain, Key Pacer) This leaves only one international spot left. Given that SRH has a poor bowling attack, that spot could go to an international fast bowler, namely Eshan Malinga or Brydon Carse. SRH let go of several bowlers during last season and also did not pick a dependable Indian fast bowler during the auction. But if they decide to go with Livingstone as their fourth foreign player, their pace attack may find it very difficult. And if they exclude Livingstone, then they leave ₹13 crores on the bench. This is a tough spot for them. Also Read | IPL 2026: Four Indian Players Who Can Revive Their Careers SRH Ignored Their Real Problems at the Auction SRH had one of the best top-order batters in Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen. They did not need another power hitter in their side. Fast Bowling Concerns SRH released Mohammad Shami and other bowlers such as Simarjeet Singh, Rahul Chahar, and Adam Zampa. They required an excellent pacer in support of Cummins in the powerplay. However, they couldn’t secure the required individual. Weak Spin Attack The spin duo includes Harish Dubey and Zeeshan Ansari, who look inexperienced. They also did not go with a known leg-spinner such as Ravi Bishnoi but also decided not to retain Rahul Chahar but invest in another batting talent instead. With an expenditure of ₹13 crores, Livingstone, brought by SRH, hasn't addressed the issue with the same bowling performance last season, which may prove to be costly for them in the upcoming IPL 2026.