Do IPL team owners influence playing 11 selection? Liam Livingstone makes huge disclosure

Liam Livingstone endured a quiet season in the 2026 Indian Premier League despite being a high-profile acquisition for SRH at INR 13 crore.

The all-rounder featured in just two matches for SRH, scoring 15 runs (14 against LSG and 1 against CSK) at an average of 7.50, and did not bowl in any matches, sparking debate over Hyderabad’s squad management.

Livingstone: "They obviously have a say"

Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Livingstone revealed that the team was playing only three overseas cricketers in Pat Cummins' absence and questioned head coach Daniel Vettori about the same.

The all-rounder was told that the owners were keen on a newly signed player, who was guaranteed a spot, and the squad would not change when Cummins returned.

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"This year, when I went there, we got a lad in the auction that Mumbai Indians really wanted, but we had more money, so we ended up getting him. The owners loved him. So he was locked in to play for us. When we didn’t have Cummins, we were playing only three overseas (players). So I asked Dan (Vettori), why we are playing only three overseas?

"He was like, ‘The owners love this lad. When Cummins comes back in, we are not going to change our thing’, which is great. I knew that I was not going to play unless somebody got injured. So then it’s a completely different mindset when you know, you are not going to play,'" Livingstone said.

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The English all-rounder added that while he had no idea whether they fully called the shots, the owners "obviously have a say."

SRH's performance in IPL 2026

With no Pat Cummins at the start, Sunrisers Hyderabad looked shaky under Ishan Kishan's leadership before finding rhythm, securing a five-match winning streak midway through the campaign.

SRH finished the league stage with 18 points from 14 matches, securing nine wins and five losses, and secured a playoff berth. However, their run ended in the Eliminator showdown after being defeated by the Rajasthan Royals by 47 runs.