In the absence of Lockie Ferguson, Punjab Kings might include Australian left-arm fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis in their playing XI. Punjab Kings had spent ₹4.4 crore to buy Dwarshuis in the auction.
Lockie Ferguson, IPL 2026: New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will miss the initial matches of IPL 2026 for Punjab Kings. Ferguson, who recently became a father, will prioritise spending time with his family before joining the Punjab Kings and the New Zealand team for winter tours in the second half of the tournament.
According to 'ESPN Cricinfo', Ferguson said in Auckland before the third T20 International match against South Africa, "I've just had a baby boy, so I'm trying to spend as much time at home as possible and help my wife. After that, I'll have a few weeks off, after which I'll go for the final leg of the IPL and then play away in the winter."
Lockie Ferguson further added, "It's always a pleasure to play for New Zealand. I really enjoyed my time with this team in India once again, but it was unfortunate that I got injured at the start of the season. I really wanted to play cricket in my country, and it's a matter of pride for me to get the opportunity to play in front of my home crowd. Sometimes the hardest thing is choosing when to rest. That's why choosing this time, which feels quite right, considering my wife was looking after the baby when I was in the World Cup. So, I'm really looking forward to spending some time at home and then making a comeback to cricket."
In Lockie Ferguson's absence, Punjab Kings might include Australian left-arm fast bowler Ben Dwarshius in their playing XI. Punjab Kings had spent ₹4.4 crore to buy Dwarshius in the auction. The 31-year-old Dwarshius is the second-highest wicket-taker in the history of the Big Bash League. He has taken 164 wickets in 129 matches at an economy rate of 8.09. Apart from Dwarshius, Punjab Kings have considerable fast-bowling options in the form of Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Vyshak Vijaykumar, and Marcus Stoinis.