A worrying moment unfolded during the Indian Premier League 2026 clash between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, as pacer Lungi Ngidi suffered a serious head injury while fielding at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 25. The incident occurred early in the second innings during the third over, bowled by Axar Patel.
PBKS opener Priyansh Arya attempted to loft the ball over mid-off but failed to get the timing right. That brought Ngidi into action, forcing him to sprint backwards and attempt a difficult overhead catch. While the South African pacer nearly reached the ball, the real danger came in the landing.
Ngidi lost balance mid-air and crashed heavily onto his back, with his neck snapping backward. The impact caused the back of his head to hit the turf hard, immediately raising serious concerns. Play came to a halt as medical staff rushed onto the field. Ngidi appeared visibly disoriented, showing signs of a concussion despite briefly responding to the physios.
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Within moments, a stretcher was brought out, and he was carefully strapped in before being taken off the field and transported to a hospital for further evaluation. The incident left players from both sides and fans in the stands visibly shaken. Following the injury, Dushmantha Chameera was brought in as a concussion substitute, replacing Ngidi in the Delhi lineup.
I hope Ngidi is fine🤞 wmk❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/IFmdkjrNNH
— Akshit (@realcobra2702) April 25, 2026
Lungi Ngidi got Injured while going for a catch
Looks very serious 😰. Ambulance was called on ground 🚨. pic.twitter.com/GgU9g68Zsw
— Jeet (@JeetN25) April 25, 2026
The timing of the injury proved crucial. Ngidi had been one of DC’s key bowlers, especially in a high-scoring contest where they were defending a massive 265-run total. However, his absence weakened their attack significantly, allowing Punjab Kings to get off to a flying start, racing to 92 without loss inside five overs.
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Notably, Ngidi became one of the few players in IPL history to be replaced via the concussion substitute rule, joining names like Ishan Kishan and Mitchell Santner.
