 "Ex-India opener questions Ferguson’s commitment after PBKS pacer skips initial part of IPL 2026: ‘This isn’t right’")
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has slammed New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson for missing the initial part of the 2026 Indian Premier League, questioning his commitment after being retained by Punjab Kings for Rs 2 crore. Ferguson is among a group of players who are set to miss the first few matches of the 19th IPL season, which includes the Australian pace-bowling trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
Unlike Cummins and Hazlewood, however, Ferguson isn’t missing the initial part of the season due to injury or some other fitness issue. The Kiwi pacer, instead, has taken a leave of absence in order to spend time with wife Emma and their newborn baby before linking up with the Shreyas Iyer-led squad.
Chopra questions Ferguson’s commitment to PBKS and IPL
Former Kolkata Knight Riders opener Chopra, however, criticised Ferguson’s decision and felt that he should have prioritised the IPL over his family, especially when he is important member of the bowling unit.
“I’m thinking about Lockie Ferguson. Actually, that’s a serious one. Is he injured… I don’t know. Is he injured or not? What I read is he is not available for seven matches. He said, ‘I want to spend some time with family’. He was picked at base price, right? Bought for 2 crores. He is playing for his team, playing for New Zealand, and then he’ll take a break. He’ll go home and spend time with family,” Chopra said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
“It’s not a bad thing. Again, don’t judge anyone. You should never judge anyone. I love spending time with my family. If someone tells me to take a holiday, I say, ‘I’ll take it; I’m going to sit at home.’ I love my family. Whether it’s kids, parents, or my wife… spending time with everyone. I love doing that.
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View All“But if you’ve made a commitment and you’re leaving seven matches just for that in the IPL, then teams will have to realise that this isn’t right,” he added.
The Fergusons had welcomed their first child back in February, for which the veteran speedster had missed New Zealand’s T20 World Cup group-stage match against Canada.
The 34-year-old would then have a hectic couple of months, having been an integral part of the Black Caps’ attack in their run to the final of the mega event in India and Sri Lanka before flying back home for the ongoing T20I series against South Africa.
“Just had a wee son; trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help the wife out. I’ll have a few weeks off after this before sort of heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter,” Ferguson had said on Thursday, revealing the reason behind his absence from the initial part of the IPL season.
Ferguson had made just four appearances for PBKS last year before getting ruled out of the remainder of the season due to an injury, and will be hoping to have an uninterrupted season once he joins the squad next month.
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