Lungi Ngidi Back in Action for Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals’ bowling coach, Munaf Patel, has confirmed that fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has successfully completed the mandatory concussion stand-down period and is now “100 percent fit” to return to action. This development comes ahead of a crucial match against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Ngidi sustained a head injury while fielding in the third over of DC’s game against Punjab Kings on April 25. He was immediately taken to BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, Pusa Road, via a green corridor arranged by Delhi Police. Although scans showed no major concerns, ICC regulations require a seven-day rest period for players diagnosed with concussion. Even though the IPL 2026 Playing Conditions didn’t explicitly mention this rule, Ngidi had to observe the rest period after being discharged from the hospital on the same evening.
Munaf Patel emphasized that all bowlers are fit, with Ngidi being “100 percent fit” after missing two games due to the six-day criteria. “He’s a hundred percent fit now,” he said during the pre-match press conference on Monday.
Despite Kyle Jamieson’s impressive performance in the Jaipur match, where he dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the team would benefit from Ngidi’s return. Partnering with left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc could provide a strong bowling combination, especially given Starc’s effectiveness with slower balls in the death overs.
Starc made a significant impact upon his return to DC, taking the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal. His inclusion has been a timely boost as the team aims for a playoff spot. Starc will look to take out Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson to set the tone early, while remaining a threat in the death overs.
Since his IPL comeback in 2025, Starc has taken 17 wickets in 11 innings at an economy of 10.2, including a best of 5-35. Against CSK, he has six wickets from seven games at an economy rate of 7.2. More importantly, DC’s results have improved significantly when Starc performs well. He has 14 wickets in wins for them at nine runs per over, compared to just three scalps in losses at an economy rate of 12.5.
Munaf highlighted the importance of having a wicket-taker in the powerplay. “If a wicket-taker comes in the first six overs, the whole scenario changes. Scores of 230 and 240 are being chased down because one is unable to pick wickets in power-play. But when your main bowler returns and gets you two wickets in powerplay, it makes a lot of difference.”
He also admitted that the poor returns of Indian pacers Mukesh Kumar and Auqib Nabi forced the team to rely more on overseas players in their bowling attack. “Both of our Indian bowlers, Auqib and Mukesh, are new ball bowlers. So, our plan was that we will use both of them because if you use Indian bowlers, you can add foreign players batting. So, that was the plan. But if you don’t succeed in the plan, you have to go to plan B.”
This strategy led to David Miller missing out on the clash against Rajasthan Royals, while Pathum Nissanka returned due to an injury to teenaged opener Sahil Parakh. “It is difficult to fit in the eleven because there are only four overseas players. There is a reason for that – Sahil was injured and we wanted Pathum to get a chance. We wanted an additional bowler too. So, we played Pathum and we had to play two foreign fast bowlers and you can’t let Starc out and Lungi couldn’t play at that time.”
Munaf added that the decision to include Pathum was based on the need for an extra bowler and the injury to Sahil. “We had to change it because Sahil got injured and Pathum has now made 62 runs in the last game. So, I don’t think we should change it and we won’t change it because Sahil is injured.”
