Since his return to the IPL this season, Lockie Ferguson has been remarkably inconsistent with his fitness and has picked injuries on alternative occasions. Ferguson misses the home match against DC at Dharamshala.
The Punjab Kings have struggled with their bowling options. Having started the season on a very high note, the PBKS bowlers and especially the fielders have repeatedly failed to hold on to the early momentum. Having won six out of their first seven matches, they made a promising start but now have lost three matches in a row.
Lockie Ferguson ruled out of home match against DC: Shreyas Iyer names a replacement.
The New Zealand pacer missed out on the first seven matches of the season for the Punjab Kings as he was back home and wanted to spend some time with his family. But since his return, Ferguson has been remarkably inconsistent and has suffered with consecutive injuries.
Dropped out and in the squad, these might not be good signs for the New Zealand veteran. However, Shreyas Iyer revealed that he has struggled with a niggle after the last game, and hence he sits out for the match at Dharamshala.
Iyer named Ben Dwarshius as Ferguson’s replacement for the game. “Ben Dwarshius comes in place of Lockie Ferguson, who has a slight niggle,” said PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer at the toss.
Shreyas Iyer claims PBKS players have lacked instincts in the defeats in IPL 2026
The Punjab Kings skipper claimed that the team has been lacking the effort to play with their instincts. He said that players not playing with the best of their ability or not handling the pressure well are the core reasons for their defeats.
“Personally, I don’t think you need to focus much on the points table. You focus on the smaller details you’ve been handling throughout the season: focusing on yourselves and the ability of every individual responsible for winning the matches. And just backing your instincts, I think that’s what we’ve been lacking in the last couple of games: Players haven’t been trusting their instincts, playing to their best ability, or handling the pressure,” said the PBKS captain.
He further added, “Not at all; it doesn’t shift your mindset. It just teaches you a lot. And I feel in this particular tournament, there are going to be ups and downs, and how quickly you turn back and get the best performance is what matters.”
Delhi Capitals hand debuts; Massive changes made to win do-or-die fixture
Delhi Capitals are eyeing a win in this game as they look to avenge their defeat at the Arun Jaitely Stadium. The Capitals could not defend a mammoth 265-run target at their home ground, which marked the start of their misfortunes.
Coming into this do-or-die match, the Capitals will have handed a chance to Madhav Tiwari, the 22-year-old youngster from Madhya Pradesh. He formerly played in a DC vs MI clash in the IPL in the last season in 2025.
Abhishek Porel returns to the XI alongside David Miller. Likes of T Natarajan and Kuldeep Yadav have also been dropped while Auqib Nabi made his way back into the XI despite a horror show in his debut IPL season.
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