Kamal Ghorui
Delhi Capitals pacer Lungi Ngidi suffered a serious head injury while trying to take a catch of Punjab Kings batter Priyansh Arya during their IPL 2026 match in Delhi on Saturday. The incident happened in the third over of Punjab Kings’ chase when Arya played a slash at a full ball on the stumps off Axar Patel. The ball went high towards mid-off, where Ngidi ran back to complete the catch. However, he misjudged the chance and failed to get his hands to the ball. While falling backwards, Ngidi landed badly and hit the back of his head hard on the ground at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. His head bounced off the surface as he fell, and he immediately held his head in pain. He rolled to the side and remained still on the ground for some time, raising immediate concern among players and support staff. The physio and team doctor rushed onto the field and attended to the South African pacer. He stayed on the ground for more than a minute as medical staff checked him. A stretcher was then brought onto the field. The physio was seen speaking to Ngidi while holding his neck, and the fact that he was able to respond brought some relief. An ambulance was brought onto the ground as doctors and physios surrounded him. A neck brace was carefully placed under his head and around his neck before he was prepared to be taken off the field. Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting also walked onto the field as the medical team worked around Ngidi. There were worried faces in the Delhi Capitals camp as the stretcher came out. The hard outfield at the Arun Jaitley Stadium added to concerns about the impact of the fall. The crowd inside the stadium also fell silent as they understood the seriousness of the injury. It appeared unlikely that Ngidi would return to the match after the heavy fall.
