The Delhi Capitals (DC) didn’t want to start with Kyle Jamieson and Dushmantha Chameera against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) but had no choice. Delhi wanted Ngidi and Mitchell Starc to play, but neither was available for selection.
Ngidi, who has been Delhi’s best bowler, suffered a freak head injury on April 25. The South African fast bowler was tracking back while attempting to take a catch. Ngidi failed to grab the ball and, upon hitting the ground, hurt his head. The 30-year-old was stretchered out of the ground in an ambulance.
Lungi Ngidi out of 2 matches
He was taken to the Max Hospital in Karol Bagh, which is about 7.5 kilometers away from the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Luckily, Ngidi was safe. He had complained of neck pain and headache, but was discharged after a few hours since scans revealed no serious concerns.
It seems like Delhi wanted to play him against RCB, and Ngidi was ready himself. But the International Cricket Council (ICC) barred him. According to Cricbuzz, since the fast bowler was diagnosed with a concussion, as per ICC rules, a player can’t take the field for at least 7 days as a precautionary measure.
Although IPL’s playing conditions don’t specify anything of the sort, the league and the franchise didn’t object. This means Ngidi won’t be available for the RCB match or the Rajasthan Royals (RR) match on May 1 in Jaipur.
Mitchell Starc available for RR match
Starc had joined Delhi’s squad on April 25, ahead of the Punjab Kings match. However, he remains unavailable for selection. Reports had suggested that Cricket Australia (CA) hadn’t cleared him to play until the end of April. This has proved to be true, since Starc wasn’t in the team sheet against RCB. However, he’s expected to play against RR in four days’ time.
