A serious accident occurred during the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday. Delhi fast bowler Lungi Ngidi fell backwards while attempting to take a catch, and his head took a hard hit from the ground. The injury was so severe that the game was stopped for about 15 minutes. He was taken by ambulance to Max Hospital in Rajendra Nagar, after which DC posted an update that the pacer is stable and yet to be discharged from the hospital. The incident happened in the third over of Punjab’s innings. On Axar Patel’s full-length delivery, batsman Priyansh Arya played a shot in the air. The ball went over mid-off, where Ngidi quickly ran backwards. There was a slight misjudgment in assessing the catch, and he lost his balance. He fell backwards, landing directly on his head. The impact was quite severe. As soon as he fell, he clutched his head and remained lying on the field. Ngidi’s Injury, 7 PHOTOS First a stretcher, then a doctor and an ambulance Immediately after the incident, a stretcher was brought onto the field. After this, the medical team rushed to the spot. Doctors spoke to Ngidi. In the initial moments, he appeared to respond, which brought some relief. However, the situation seemed to change shortly after. Concerns about Ngidi’s condition began to grow. The medical staff tried to stabilise him, taking extra precautions. Play stopped for about 15 minutes During the entire incident, the match remained stopped for about 15 minutes. Players, umpires, and support staff were all keeping an eye on the situation. When the situation seemed serious, an ambulance was called onto the field. Thereafter, Ngidi was taken on a stretcher, shifted to the ambulance, and immediately sent to the hospital. Ngidi was struggling, DJ was playing music Amidst the accident, another thing caught attention. While Ngidi was struggling with pain on the field and the medical team was treating him, the stadium’s DJ continuously played music. Usually, in such serious situations, the atmosphere is kept quiet, but here the music continued. Ngidi is known as the Gentle Giant Lungi Ngidi’s full name is Lungisani True-man Ngidi. He was born on March 29, 1996, in Durban, South Africa. He is known as the ‘Gentle Giant’ due to his tall stature and calm nature. Ngidi’s childhood was spent in a simple family. His mother was a domestic worker, and his father was a maintenance worker. In his early days, he also performed well in rugby, but later he focused entirely on cricket. He studied on a scholarship at Hilton College and later also pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Sociology at the University of Pretoria. Made Test debut against India Ngidi is a right-arm fast bowler, known for bowling at speeds of over 140 km/h. His slower ball is a special feature, which creates a lot of difficulty for batsmen in death overs. He made his Test debut against India in 2018 and made his mark by taking 6 wickets in the very first innings. After this, his international career progressed rapidly. In 2020, he was chosen as South Africa’s Best ODI and T20 International Cricketer. He was also part of the South African team that won the ICC World Test Championship in 2025. Strict rules regarding head Injuries in cricket Head injuries in cricket are considered very serious. In such cases, there is a risk of concussion, which can be dangerous for the player. ICC has set clear protocols for this. Any player who suffers a head injury is immediately given a medical examination and, if necessary, removed from the field. Ngidi’s Current Status Delhi Capitals dropped an official update regarding Ngidi’s condition at 7:31 PM IST on Saturday through X post. Initially, his response to doctors was a positive sign, but later calling an ambulance indicates the seriousness of the situation. However, he is yet to be discharged from the hospital. For the Delhi Capitals, this incident could be a major setback beyond the game, as Ngidi is among the team’s key fast bowlers. Delhi scored the IPL 2026 highest total In the previous match, Delhi Capitals won the toss and chose to bat first, scoring 264 runs for 2 wickets in 20 overs. This is the highest score of the season so far. Delhi’s batsmen adopted an aggressive approach from the start and kept pressure on Punjab’s bowlers. It was the beginning of the Punjab team’s innings, chasing the target, when this incident occurred. Post navigation ‘Harbhajan Singh made ₹1 crore from IPL slapgate’:reesanth slams Bhajji for making money off controversy, says, ‘Forgive, but never forget’
