Livingstone leave IPL to attend knee niggle; Buttler, Will Jacks, Topley too return to England
New Delhi, May 13: Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Liam Livingstone on Monday returned to England from the ongoing IPL to undergo a knee recuperation ahead of the next month’s T20 World Cup.
Along with Livingstone, Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Will Jacks and Reece Topley (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) also have left the IPL to join England squad ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan, beginning on May 22.
The Kings are already eliminated from this IPL after managing just four wins from 12 matches and they are currently at the bottom of the table with eight points.
"IPL done for another year, had to get my knee sorted for the upcoming World Cup,” Livingstone wrote on his Instagram wall.
“Thanks once again to the Punjab Kings fans for all their love and support. Disappointing season as a team and personally, but as always, I loved every minute of playing in the IPL,” he added.
Hence, Livingstone will not be available for PBKS’ last two matches of the tournament against Rajasthan Royals (May 15) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (May 19).
The injury is not of serious nature but the England management, as per ESPNcricinfo, decided to give him more time to get it treated prior to their home T20I series against Pakistan.
After that series, the defending champions will travel to the West Indies for their T20 World Cup engagements, starting on June 4 against Scotland in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Livingstone had a lean IPL this season, scoring 111 runs from seven matches and took just three wickets.
Meanwhile, other England players in the IPL who are part of their World Cup squad – Moeen Ali (CSK), Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow (PBKS) and Phil Salt (KKR) – will be home-bound very soon.
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TN govt reaffirms 21-yr age limit for liquor sales
Chennai (PTI): Seeking to curb rising alcohol consumption among minors in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has reinforced the legal age requirement of 21 for all liquor purchases and consumption.
The government has also ordered the closure of 717 liquor outlets across the state and warned of strict action against those who violate the new directives.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the agency which holds a monopoly on sales of liquor, will be shutting 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 outlets near bus stations.
A senior TASMAC official on Thursday said that the staff at liquor shops have been instructed to check identity proof, including Aadhaar card, for all customers whose age is in question.
The official also said that the state government is considering a reduction in operational hours.
Currently, the liquor shops across the state operate from 12 noon to 10 pm.
"They are weighing a proposal to move the closing time to 8 pm," he added.
At present, the TASMAC operates a total of 4,765 liquor shops across the state. After the closure of 717 shops, it would come down to 4,048 outlets.
In 2025, the revenue from liquor sales stood at Rs 48,344 crore, which is the second highest after the registration department.
