Lockie Ferguson is the latest inclusion in the list of players who will either miss the start of IPL 2026 or have been ruled out of the entire tournament.
The Reason
The New Zealand fast bowler, who played an important role for the Punjab Kings before getting injured in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, wants to be with his family, having welcomed his newborn son.
What They Said
Ferguson told the media about his decision to skip the first few games of the upcoming IPL season before the start of the third T20I of the ongoing five-match series against South Africa. In the words of Ferguson, “Just had a son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help the wife out.” “I’ll have a few weeks off after this, before heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter.”
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The Decision
Lockie Ferguson further said, “Really looking forward to some time at home and then back into some cricket after that.” “Sometimes the hard part is deciding when to take a rest. This feels like the right time, especially since my wife was looking after the baby while I was at the World Cup.”
The Plan
When asked if he was planning to retire from the game, Ferguson said: “They thought this was my last game.” “No, I’m still very committed to play for New Zealand. I really enjoyed my time with the group in India. We have high expectations as a team. We didn’t quite get the results we wanted, but there was still a lot to be proud of.”
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The Commitment
Lockie Ferguson reiterated that he is still committed when it comes to playing for New Zealand and is looking forward to the next two multination tournaments, which are the World Cups. According to Ferguson, “I’m looking forward to the next two World Cups. There is a great opportunity for this squad. I am still very keen and working hard to make sure I can contribute at a high level.”