South African speedster Lungi Ngidi has been ruled out from the upcoming Indian Premier League which will be the 12th edition of the yearly mega event. Ngidi who was an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings last year won’t turn out for the yellow brigade after a side strain has ruled him out from the whole of the tournament.
South Africa team manager Mohammad Mosajee confirmed that Ngidi won’t be part of the IPL after he sustained an injury during the ODI series against Sri Lanka. The speedster won’t be fit by the start of the playoffs and with the World Cup just around the corner, South Africa wouldn’t like to risk the speedster who could well be one of the potential match winners for the Proteas in the World Cup.
“Lungi felt discomfort while bowling during the last ODI against Sri Lanka at Newlands and immediately stopped bowling. Further scans revealed a Grade II muscle strain which will need up to four weeks of rest followed by a rehab programme leading up to the World Cup,” team manager Mohammed Mosajee was quoted as saying by the Sportstar.
Lungi Ngidi is a good back-up option for South Africa in the World Cup
Lungi Ngidi is a tall fast bowler who is a terrific back-up for bowlers like Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn. Dale Steyn ruled world cricket for a long period of time. However, he is in the twilight of his career and one shouldn’t expect him to perform as consistently as he used to do a few years ago. Kagiso Rabada will spearhead the attack and Ngidi might be a good addition to the squad.
The tall fast bowler came into the limelight with a sensational 6 wicket haul against India at Centurion in his debut Test. It was a fairytale script for the young fast bowler who had made his shorter format debuts a few weeks earlier. Ngidi’s presence in the team will surely be missed by Chennai Super Kings. Among the average age of over 30, Ngidi was one of those few players who had just crossed his 20’s. However, he won’t be available for Chennai in the 12th edition.