Delhi Capitals were left shaken after a worrying moment involving Lungi Ngidi during their clash against Punjab Kings. The pacer went down heavily while attempting a catch, and the situation quickly turned tense. Head coach Hemang Badani later revealed there was genuine concern in the dugout, especially when Ngidi did not respond to basic instructions while lying on the ground.
The incident unfolded in the third over when Priyansh Arya tried to take on Axar Patel with a lofted shot. Ngidi tracked the ball while back-pedalling but never quite got into position. Off balance, he failed to latch onto the chance and ended up falling awkwardly, striking his head on the turf. Play was halted immediately as medical staff rushed in, with players from both sides watching on anxiously. Ngidi had to be stretchered off and taken to the hospital, bringing a hush over the ground. Fortunately, the scare proved short-lived. The South African quick recovered well and was back in the XI for the game against Chennai Super Kings on May 5, easing concerns after what had initially looked like a serious blow.
Delhi Capitals head coach Badani opened up on the tense moments after Ngidi’s injury, recalling how panic spread through the camp when the pacer failed to respond initially, before medical staff acted swiftly and later confirmed he was out of danger.
“Ohh, tell me about it. We were all worried for him when it happened. We were all like, will he be okay? Because I was literally on the ground when that happened. I mean, within the next five odd minutes, he wasn’t responding to anything. He wasn’t responding to simple things like, can you lift your hand? Can you lift your right hand, your left finger, your left thumb? There was no response. At that point, we were all panicking. But I thought Craig, our physio, did a fabulous job to make sure that he was in the ambulance quickly. Later in the evening, we got to figure out with the scans that he’s okay, and now he’s seen back on the park,” Badani told broadcasters.
Also Read – ‘I had to be selfish’: Sanju Samson sacrifices hundred for the greater good
Ngidi shines on return but DC lose to CSK
Ngidi marked his return with a tidy spell against Chennai Super Kings, finishing with figures of 1 for 30 from his four overs. The pacer kept things tight and stuck to his plans, offering control when runs were hard to contain. However, Delhi Capitals could not capitalise on that effort. Defending a modest total of 156, they struggled to build pressure as CSK’s batters paced the chase well. Despite Ngidi’s disciplined outing, DC were unable to hold their nerve and eventually went down by a big margin.