KARACHI: New Zealand right-arm pacer Lockie Ferguson will miss the opening leg of the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as he aims to spend time with his family after the T20I series against South Africa.
Set to represent Punjab Kings in the upcoming 19th edition, Ferguson welcomed his first child during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, due to which he took paternity leave and rejoined the New Zealand squad after spending four days with family.
After finishing as runners-up in the 20-team mega event, New Zealand begin their home season with a five-match T20I series against South Africa, currently tied 1-1.
The third T20I of the series is scheduled to be played in Auckland on Friday and Ferguson, who is part of the New Zealand squad, has revealed his plans to spend more time with his family for “a few weeks” after the current stint, which will result in his absence in the early stages of IPL 2026.
“Having a young son, I’m trying to spend as much as I can at home and help my wife,” Ferguson said in Auckland ahead of the third T20I against South Africa.
“I’ll have a few weeks off before going into the later stages of the IPL and going into the winter.
“It’s always a pleasure to play for the Black Caps and I’ve really enjoyed my time in India with the team again. I’ve had an unfortunate early season with injuries. I wanted to play some home cricket and feel privileged to be playing in front of a home crowd.”
The 34-year-old fast bowler further reiterated his commitment to continue playing despite not having a central contract for New Zealand and said he would assess his international career on a “match-by-match” basis.
Ferguson also expressed his desire to feature in the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup with Australia, followed by the T20 World Cup in 2028.
“They thought it was my last game (laughs). No, I’m still very determined to play for New Zealand,” Ferguson said.
“I really enjoyed my time with the team in India. I feel the team we put together has high expectations within our team. We obviously didn’t do that in India, but at the same time it’s something to be proud of from that tournament.
“Looking forward to the next two World Cups, our team has a great chance. I’m still interested at this point. Obviously, there are still a few months and a few games to go, but I’m working really hard to make sure I’m on the park and can add value to the team.”