Lockie Ferguson’s evolution as a T20 bowler was on full display during New Zealand’s win over Afghanistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, and the Kiwi quick was quick to credit the IPL for sharpening his craft. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ferguson admitted that the relentless level of competition in the IPL has forced him to constantly upgrade his variations, especially as batters have become far better at picking slower balls.
Ferguson explained that in high-quality T20 leagues like the IPL, batters quickly read the traditional back-of-the-hand slower delivery. To stay effective, he has worked on subtle changes in grip and wrist position that make his variations harder to detect.
“Over here, I’ve found IPL batters are very good at picking up the usual slower balls. I’ve worked on a delivery where my wrist doesn’t change too much,” Lockie Ferguson said. He also highlighted how flat pitches in the subcontinent demand more creativity from fast bowlers. “On these wickets, you need movement in the air or off the surface to trouble batters,” he added.
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Those adjustments paid off against Afghanistan when Ferguson outfoxed Rahmanullah Gurbaz with a beautifully disguised slower ball. Rolling his fingers across the seam, the New Zealand pacer got the ball to grip and cut back into the right-hander.
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Rahmullah Gurbaz, expecting pace, pushed forward and was beaten by the subtle change, underlining how far Ferguson has come as a white-ball specialist. The numbers back up his transformation. Once known for leaking runs at the death, Ferguson has steadily improved his economy rate over the last few IPL seasons.
After conceding at 12.52 an over in IPL 2023, he brought it down to 10.62 in 2024 and further to 9.17 in 2025. Since the start of 2025, across 33 T20 matches, Ferguson has taken 37 wickets at an impressive economy of 7.85, a clear indicator of his growing control and consistency.
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Across his IPL career, Ferguson has featured for five franchises, picking up 51 wickets in 49 matches. His short stint with Punjab Kings in 2025 was disrupted by a leg injury, but he still made an impact, including a memorable knuckle-ball dismissal of Shivam Dube. Bowling regularly above 145 kmph, Ferguson’s blend of raw pace and clever slower balls has made him a more complete T20 bowler. Retained by Punjab Kings for IPL 2026, he is set to be a key weapon for the franchise as well as New Zealand in the months ahead.
