Delhi Capitals pacer Lungi Ngidi suffered a serious head injury while attempting to catch a ball hit by Punjab Kings batter Priyansh Arya during their IPL 2026 match in Delhi on Saturday. The incident occurred in the third over of Punjab Kings' chase, when Arya slashed at a full ball on the stumps bowled by Axar Patel.
The ball soared high towards mid-off, where Ngidi ran backwards to complete the catch. However, he misjudged the trajectory and failed to get his hands to the ball. As he fell backwards, Ngidi landed awkwardly and struck the back of his head hard on the ground at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. His head bounced off the surface upon impact, and he immediately clutched his head in pain. He rolled to the side and remained motionless on the ground for some time, causing immediate concern among players and support staff.
The physio and team doctor rushed onto the field to attend to the South African pacer. He stayed on the ground for over a minute as medical staff assessed his condition. A stretcher was then brought onto the field. The physio was seen speaking to Ngidi while supporting his neck, and the fact that he was able to respond provided some relief. An ambulance was driven 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 emerged. The hard outfield at the Arun Jaitley Stadium heightened concerns about the impact of the fall. The crowd inside the stadium fell silent as they realized the seriousness of the injury. It appeared unlikely that Ngidi would return to the match after such a heavy fall.
