(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) Royal Challengers Bengaluru shared a farewell note for Liam Livingstone after the English player was released from their squad ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 auctions. Ten teams will get into a bidding war on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Livingstone was released from the RCB's squad as the franchise announced their retentions on Saturday evening. With November 15 being the retention deadline, the all-rounder was among the eight members released by RCB, as the 2025 champions let go of players from their championship-winning squad.

The Bengaluru-based franchise shared a farewell note for the English cricketer on their official X account, writing, "Stepped up when it mattered the most and left his mark on our most glorious chapter. You lived it, Liam, and we loved it! Thank you for everything. You'll always be an RCBian at heart."

Last year, RCB signed Livingstone for Rs 8.75 crore during the mega auction, but he scored only 112 runs in 10 matches. With the franchise now sharing a farewell note, the all-rounder is unlikely to be repurchased by them.

The RCB's most significant snub was England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who was released due to his underwhelming performance last year. Additionally, South African pacer Lungi Ngidi was also released by the franchise.

RCB tasted glory for the first time in 18 years as they lifted the coveted silverware in 2025. The Bengaluru-based franchise finished second in the points table after the league stage. They then achieved consecutive victories over Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 and the final, held on May 29 and June 3, respectively, ending an 18-year wait for their inaugural IPL title.

Virat Kohli was the top scorer for the Rajat Patidar-led squad in IPL 2025, while Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood recorded the most dismissals.

Retained: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh, Suyash Sharma

Released: Liam Livingstone, Swastik Chikara, Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Manoj Bhandage, Lungi Ngidi, Blessing Muzarabani, Mohit Rathee

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