Lockie Ferguson Injury Puts New Zealand’s T20 World Cup Plans Under Cloud

Lockie Ferguson was ruled out of multiple leagues with a calf injury, raising doubts over his T20 World Cup availability.

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has been hit by an injury setback ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, with the senior pacer currently under an injury cloud. The 34-year-old sustained a calf injury while playing for Desert Vipers in the ILT20 clash against MI Emirates in Dubai on December 21.

Ferguson suffered the injury three balls into his second over and was seen hobbling off the field while clutching his right calf. He was later ruled out of the remainder of the ILT20 season, forcing Desert Vipers to hand over the captaincy to Sam Curran. Curran had also previously stood in as skipper when Ferguson was dealing with a minor niggle earlier in the tournament.

The injury has since ruled Ferguson out of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) as well, casting serious doubts over his availability for the start of the T20 World Cup. He was originally scheduled to link up with Sydney Thunder after completing his ILT20 commitments in the UAE. Following the BBL, Ferguson was expected to rejoin the New Zealand squad for a five-match T20I series in India, which serves as preparation for the T20 World Cup.

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Ferguson currently holds a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and has not represented the national side since November 2024. He was earmarked as New Zealand’s strike enforcer for last year’s Champions Trophy but missed the ICC event after suffering a hamstring injury during the previous ILT20 season.

It remains uncertain whether Ferguson will recover in time for the T20 World Cup. New Zealand are already set to miss another hit-the-deck bowler, Will O’Rourke, who has been ruled out of the ICC tournament due to a back injury.