Recovering Lungi Ngidi ruled out of IPL, expected to recover before T20 World Cup

Johannesburg: Injury has struck South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi once again, this time ruling him out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he continues his recovery from a lower back injury sustained during the playoffs of the SA20 last month while playing for Paarl Royals.

This setback also led to his withdrawal from the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

To fill the void left by Ngidi, Delhi Capitals have enlisted Australian all-rounder Jake Fraser-McGurk as his replacement. Fraser-McGurk gained recognition as part of Australia's squad during the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2020.

According to a statement from Cricket South Africa (CSA), Ngidi is anticipated to return to action in April during a domestic competition, with his provincial team, the Momentum Multiply Titans. This timeline puts him in contention for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA.

The statement from CSA confirmed Ngidi's ongoing rehabilitation under the supervision of their medical team, expressing optimism about his return to play in the second half of the ongoing CSA T20 Challenge in April.

"Ngidi is currently being monitored by the Cricket South Africa (CSA) medical team and undergoing rehab with his provincial team, the Momentum Multiply Titans. He is expected to return to play in the second half of the ongoing CSA T20 Challenge in April," the statement read.

This isn't the first time Ngidi has faced injury setbacks; previously, he was sidelined from the T20I series against India in December last year due to a left lateral ankle sprain, making a comeback in the final Test of the series.