New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is set to miss the opening phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 after choosing to spend time with his family following the birth of his son. The pacer, who was retained by Punjab Kings, confirmed that he will join the franchise only in the later stages of the tournament.
Speaking ahead of New Zealand’s third T20I against South Africa, Ferguson shared that he intends to take a short break after international duties to remain at home and support his partner during the early days of parenthood.
“Just had a son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help the wife out,” Ferguson said. “I’ll have a few weeks off after this, before heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter.”
Ferguson featured in the second T20I in Hamilton, where he produced an impressive three-wicket performance in New Zealand’s series-levelling victory. He also confirmed his availability for the third match at Eden Park, his home ground, before stepping away from cricket for a short period.
“Really looking forward to some time at home and then back into some cricket after that,” he added. “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.”
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Punjab Kings, led by captain Shreyas Iyer and coached by Ricky Ponting, finished runners-up in the previous season. Ferguson played a key role in their campaign before an injury curtailed his participation. He had earlier hobbled off the field after bowling just two deliveries against Sunrisers Hyderabad due to a significant thigh concern.
The speedster returned to action in the T20I against India in Thiruvananthapuram prior to the T20 World Cup and has reiterated his continued commitment to representing New Zealand at the highest level.
“They thought this was my last game,” he said with a smile. “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.”
“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.”
Despite Ferguson’s absence early in the season, Punjab Kings possess considerable depth in their pace department. Their fast-bowling resources include Arshdeep Singh, Ben Dwarshuis, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Xavier Bartlett and Yash Thakur, while all-rounders Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen and Marcus Stoinis also offer seam-bowling options.
