The speedster has picked eight wickets for the franchise in the previous season.
The average speed of all the bowlers combined in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26 is set to experience a sudden dip, after a bowler being ruled out of the tournament due to injury. Sydney Thunder speedster Lockie Ferguson would no longer take part in Australia’s premier tournament after being ruled out due to a calf injury. The franchise confirmed via a post on their socials.
The 34-year-old pacer was the first pick for the Sydney Thunder in the overseas player draft this year, and was expected to re-join the squad. He did not play a single game in the 15th edition of the tournament, and will not take any further part in the competition. Reece Topley, Daniel Sams and Nathan McAndrew will be the bowlers that the Thunder would be banking on.
The national side would be very concerned about the injuries that have troubled the speedster over the course of his career. Ferguson would be an important part of the New Zealand squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India & Sri Lanka. But they will have to make sure that he recovers in time, and is well prepared for the coveted tournament.
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Lockie Ferguson and injuries are not a new match. The express speedster has had a history of being sidelined due to injuries, which has affected his career in terms of the number of matches he’s played. That being said, Ferguson will surely want to improve on the same and the only manner he can do that n, would be to adjudge the root cause of the injuries.
This is not the first time that he has been ruled out due to a calf injury. Lockie Ferguson suffered a similar injury during New Zealand’s tour to Sri Lanka in November 2024, which made him kiss the entire ODI series against their Asian counterparts. Since then, the right-arm speedster has been in and out of the squad repeatedly, which has not let the management give him a long rope.
A hamstring niggle adding to an existing foot injury kept him away from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, after he sustained the injury in a warm-up game in the lead-up to the tournament. To add to that, the speedster was not able to play the full extent of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as well, after he limped off post bowling just two deliveries for the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
The Blackcaps will hope that the pacer makes significant recovery in the weeks to come. Lockie Ferguson would be an important asset to have on pitches in the subcontinent, considering the ability to vary his pace. His slower ball variations are very effective in the middle-overs and also at the death.
In 43 T20Is so far, the fast bowler has picked up 64 wickets at an economy of 7.10, which is good in the middle and death overs as well. There have been instances when the right-arm speedster has been used in the powerplay as well. In a match against Papua New Guinea in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, the 34-year-old broke the record books by bowling four maidens, without giving away a single run.
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