New Delhi, March 20: New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will miss the initial matches of IPL 2026 for the Punjab Kings. Recently becoming a father, Ferguson has decided to prioritize spending time with his family before joining the Punjab Kings for the latter half of the tournament and the New Zealand team for their winter tours.
According to ‘ESPN Cricinfo’, Ferguson stated in Auckland before the third T20 International against South Africa, “I just had a baby boy, so I’m trying to spend as much time at home as possible and help my wife. After this, I’ll have a few weeks off before heading to the IPL for the final phase and then going abroad to play in the winter.”
Ferguson further expressed, “Playing for New Zealand is always a joy. I have really enjoyed my time with this team in India, but it’s unfortunate that I got injured at the start of the season. I genuinely wanted to play cricket in my home country, and having the chance to play in front of my home crowd is truly a matter of pride. Sometimes, the hardest decision is when to take a break. That’s why choosing this time feels right, especially since my wife was taking care of our child while I was at the World Cup. Yes, I am really looking forward to spending some time at home before returning to cricket.”
In Ferguson’s absence, the Punjab Kings may include Australian left-arm fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis in their playing XI. The team spent ₹4.4 crores to acquire Dwarshuis at the auction. The 31-year-old is the second-highest wicket-taker in Big Bash League history, having taken 164 wickets at an economy rate of 8.09 in 129 matches. Besides Dwarshuis, the Punjab Kings have solid fast-bowling options in Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Javier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Vaishakh Vijaykumar, and Marcus Stoinis.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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