Ferguson to miss early part of IPL 2026

Lockie Ferguson has joined the list of fast bowlers set to miss the early part of IPL 2026. The New Zealand pacer, who was retained by Punjab Kings, recently welcomed a baby with his partner and will spend time at home before linking up with the squad in the "later stages" of the tournament.

"Just had a son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help the wife out," Ferguson said ahead of the third T20I against South Africa. "I'll have a few weeks off after this, before heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter."

Ferguson played the second T20I in Hamilton, picking up a three-wicket haul in New Zealand's series-levelling win. He confirmed he will also feature in the third match at Eden Park, his home ground, before taking a break.

"Really looking forward to some time at home and then back into some cricket after that," he said. "Sometimes the hard part is deciding when to take a rest. This feels like the right time, especially since my wife was looking after the baby while I was at the World Cup."

Punjab Kings, coached by Ricky Ponting and captained by Shreyas Iyer, finished as runners-up last season. Ferguson was an important part of their campaign before an injury cut his season short. He hobbled off after bowling just two balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, clutching his left thigh with what was described as a "pretty serious" injury at the time.

Ferguson, who made his comeback in the Thiruvananthapuram T20I against India before the T20 World Cup, said he remains fully committed to international cricket and has no plans to retire.

"They thought this was my last game," he said with a smile. "No, I'm still very committed to play for New Zealand. I really enjoyed my time with the group in India. We have high expectations as a team. We didn't quite get the results we wanted, but there was still a lot to be proud of.

"I'm looking forward to the next two World Cups. There is a great opportunity for this squad. I am still very keen and working hard to make sure I can contribute at a high level."

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