IPL 2026, Punjab Kings: IPL 2026 is going to start from March 28, for which all the 10 teams are making vigorous preparations. At the same time, before the start of the tournament, Punjab Kings have suffered a big setback. The team’s star fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will not play in the initial matches of IPL 2026. Ferguson himself has given the reason behind this. Actually, New Zealand player Ferguson has recently become a father and currently wants to spend time with his family. He will join the team later for the second half of the IPL.

Why will Lockie Ferguson not play in the first half of IPL 2026?

Lockie Ferguson became a father during the T20 World Cup 2026 played in India and Sri Lanka. In such a situation, Ferguson went to New Zealand in the middle of the tournament and then joined the team again for the Super-8. But after the defeat in the final he returned home again. At the same time, after playing the opening match of the T20 series against South Africa, he has decided to take a break. He says that his son is still very young, so he will give priority to his family first and will join the team in the second half of the IPL.

Before the third T20 to be held in Auckland, he said, “We have just got a small son in our house, so I am trying to spend as much time as possible at home and help my wife. After this match, I will go on leave for a few weeks, then go to India to play in the later stages of the IPL.”

How big a loss for Punjab Kings?

Ferguson has taken 51 wickets in 49 matches in the IPL so far and his fast bowling has been very important for the team. In such a situation, Punjab Kings will definitely miss his absence in the initial matches. Even though Ferguson’s decision is personal, its impact is clearly visible on the balance of the team. However, Punjab’s fast bowling is very strong. They have players like Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Azmatullah Omarzai, Yash Thakur, Vishak Vijaykumar and Marcus Stoinis.

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