In harrowing scenes at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Lungi Ngidi suffered a serious head injury while trying to take a catch during the Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings match. The South African pacer was hurt as he moved back from mid-off, prompting immediate medical intervention that included an ambulance and a hospital transfer for further checks.
Key takeaways
- Lungi Ngidi sustained a severe head injury while attempting a catch in the Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
- Players and staff watched as physios treated him on the field and he was moved onto a stretcher before being taken away by ambulance.
- The IPL later confirmed that Ngidi was in stable condition and expected to be discharged soon.
- Ngidi was hospitalised after reporting a headache and neck pain following the fall.
- Vipraj Nigam came on as Ngidi’s concussion substitute for the remainder of the match.
What happened during the dismissal attempt
The incident occurred in the third over of the contest after Priyansh Arya misjudged a ball from Axar Patel. As the play developed, Ngidi moved to intercept from mid-off, stretching out in an attempt to reach the delivery. However, he failed to get a hand to the ball and fell backward, with his head striking the ground.
Ngidi immediately appeared in pain and clutched his head, while play was brought to a stop for an extended period. Medical staff rushed in to assess him, and he remained on the ground as the situation was handled with urgency.
Medical response, hospital transfer and update
As the concern grew, a stretcher was called for. Due to the seriousness of the injury, an ambulance had to enter the playing area to allow Ngidi to be taken off safely. Members of both teams were visibly concerned as the medical team carefully shifted him from the field to the stretcher and then onto the ambulance.
Ngidi was then transported to the hospital for scans. Following the match, an IPL update came roughly an hour and a half after the incident, stating that the pacer was in stable condition and was expected to be discharged soon.
In the aftermath of the fall, Ngidi had complained of a headache and neck pain, which led to the hospitalisation for further evaluation. For the remainder of the game, Vipraj Nigam was brought in as the concussion substitute.
