Delhi Capitals’ pacer Lungi Ngidi suffered a serious head injury while trying to catch Punjab Kings batsman Priyansh Arya during the IPL 2026 match in Delhi on Saturday.The South African was taken to Max Hospital, Pusa Road, in Delhi for further medical examination, news agency PTI reported. The incident occurred in the third over of Punjab Kings’ chase when Arya played a slant shot on a full ball onto the stumps off Axar Patel. The ball rose high into the middle of the pitch, with Ngidi running back to complete the catch. However, he misjudged the opportunity and failed to get his hands on the ball. While falling backwards, Ngidi fell badly and hit the back of his head hard on the ground at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. His head bounced off the roof as he fell, and he immediately grabbed his head in pain.
He rolled to the side and remained stationary on the ground for some time, causing immediate concern among the players and support staff. The physiotherapist and team doctor rushed to the field and attended to the South African player. He remained on the ground for more than a minute while medical staff examined him. Then a stretcher was brought to the stadium. The physiotherapist was seen talking to Ngidi while holding his neck, and the fact that he was able to respond brought some relief.
An ambulance was brought to the ground while doctors and physiotherapists surrounded him. A neck brace was carefully placed under his head and around his neck before he was ready to be taken off the field. Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting also entered the field while the medical team worked around Ngidi. There were worried faces in the Delhi Capitals camp when the stretcher came out. The difficult pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium has heightened concerns about the impact of the fall. The fans inside the stadium were silent, realizing the seriousness of the injury. It seemed unlikely that Ngidi would return to the match after the heavy fall.
