Punjab Kings have suffered a major setback as their key overseas fast bowler, Lockie Ferguson, is expected to miss the rest of the IPL 2025 season. Bowling coach James Hopes confirmed this ahead of their upcoming match against Kolkata Knight Riders. Ferguson sustained a left leg injury during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he had to leave the field after bowling just two deliveries.
The match ended in an eight-wicket defeat for Punjab Kings. Hopes stated, “Ferguson’s out indefinitely, and us getting him back by the end of the tournament is a very low percentage. I think he’s done a real decent injury to himself.” This is not the first time Ferguson has struggled with injuries. Earlier, he was ruled out of the 2025 Champions Trophy for New Zealand due to a hamstring injury he picked up during the ILT20 in the UAE.
Options for PBKS in Ferguson’s Absence
With Lockie Ferguson ruled out, Punjab Kings will have to look at their bench strength to fill the gap. Among their overseas options are fast bowler Xavier Bartlett and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai. From the Indian side, they have Vijaykumar Vyshak, who made a notable impact in their opening game against Gujarat Titans. In their recent match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, PBKS used Yash Thakur. They also have Kuldeep Sen as a pace option.
The upcoming match against KKR is crucial for Punjab Kings, who have won three games and lost two so far in the season.
Hopes said, “We’ve only played a couple of games here and we feel we’re getting a pretty good hang on the conditions with a couple of practice matches and the last two games here. We’re obviously going to have to change our team up a bit with Ferguson not being able to play.”
He added, “So we’ll have a good look at the wicket tonight and we’ll see which way we’re going to go there. Whether we have to change up our spin attack a little bit or change our fast bowling attack, which we’re going to have to do.”
Focus on Adapting to Conditions
Hopes emphasized the importance of adjusting to the conditions at each venue. He noted that PBKS will need to be flexible with their bowling combinations to remain competitive.
“Well, the road ahead is, we’re expecting to see a bit of improvement in the bowling. But, like, I’m not going to sit here and say, oh, we’re going to go five matches now, I can see less than 200.”
He added, “We’re playing on the pitches – like we might go to Bangalore, and that’s a 230 wicket, and has got the potential to be that there. All we’ve got to do is keep the team at 200. So, like, I’m not going to sit here and say, we’ve got to be under 200.” Hopes concluded by saying, “We have to actually just bowl to the conditions that are going to win us the game on that day. In the last game, we didn’t quite do that, and you couple that with drop catches and an injury, and that results in a loss.”
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