PBKS fast bowler Lockie Ferguson was ruled out for an indefinite period due to injury.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowling coach James Hopes confirmed that New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson will remain out of action for an indefinite period due to injury. Hopes revealed there is only a slim chance of the pacer returning to play for the franchise during the later stages of the tournament.
Ferguson sustained the injury during PBKS’ match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, April 12, after bowling just two deliveries. “Ferguson is out indefinitely, and us getting him back by the end of the tournament is a very low percentage. I think he’s done a real decent injury to himself,” Hopes said at the pre-match press conference on Monday (via Cricbuzz).
The 33-year-old had a promising start to his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, picking up five wickets in four matches. With Ferguson sidelined, PBKS will now look to their overseas reserves—Australia’s Xavier Bartlett and Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai—for cover. The franchise also has Indian pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak, who made an impact as a substitute in PBKS’ win over Gujarat Titans earlier in the campaign.
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This marks Ferguson’s second injury setback in 2025. Earlier, he was ruled out of New Zealand’s ICC Champions Trophy campaign due to a foot injury. Kyle Jamieson had replaced him in the Blackcaps squad.
After suffering a heavy defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, PBKS will return to action on Tuesday, April 14, as they host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
All eyes will be on captain Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to their third IPL title in 2024 but was not retained by the franchise for the IPL 2025 mega auction held in November. PBKS signed Iyer for ₹26.75 crore and appointed him captain. Iyer has been in excellent form this season, scoring 250 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 208.33, with a highest score of 97 not out.
KKR, on the other hand, come into the match after an impressive eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on Friday, April 11. In the points table, PBKS are placed sixth with six points from five games, while KKR are one spot above them with the same number of points, although having played one game more.
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