Delhi Capitals explain Vipraj Nigam substitution after Lungi Ngidi injury

Delhi Capitals could not bring in Dushmantha Chameera as a concussion substitute for injured pacer Lungi Ngidi during their IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings because of the IPL rule allowing only four overseas players in a match.

Ngidi suffered a head injury while trying to take a catch of Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday and had to be taken off the field in an ambulance before being shifted to hospital. After the incident, Delhi Capitals brought in Vipraj Nigam as the concussion substitute instead of Sri Lankan pacer Chameera, leading to questions over why a like-for-like fast-bowling replacement was not used.

DC director of cricket Venugopal Rao explained during the post-match press conference that the team had no option because they were already playing four overseas players in the XI, which is the maximum allowed under IPL rules. Since concussion substitutes also have to follow the same overseas-player rule, Chameera could not be brought in as he would have taken the overseas count beyond four. Rao said that was the reason the team had to go with Vipraj instead. "Only four overseas players are allowed. There is a rule. We cannot take a fifth overseas player," he said.

Another reason was that Delhi had already used Auqib Nabi as their Impact Player during the match, which further limited their bowling replacement options. Among the available players left in the squad of 15, Vipraj was the only player who could bowl, even though he is a spinner and not a pace bowler like Ngidi.

Ngidi had been trying to take a mishit from Priyansh Arya off Axar Patel’s bowling on the third ball of the second over when he misjudged the ball’s path. The ball went past his outstretched right hand while he was airborne, and the South African landed on his back with the back of his head hitting the ground. He immediately held his head in pain as medical staff rushed in with a stretcher. He was later taken to hospital in an ambulance, while Delhi Traffic Police created a green corridor to help the vehicle reach quickly through traffic. The IPL later confirmed that Ngidi was stable and expected to be discharged shortly.

Coming to the match, after DC opted to bat first, an entertaining 220-run second-wicket stand between KL Rahul (152 in 67 balls, with 16 fours and nine sixes) and Nitish Rana (91 in 44 balls, with 11 fours and four sixes) took DC to 264/2. PBKS did not put their weapons down either, as Priyansh Arya (43 in 17 balls, with two fours and five sixes) and Prabhsimran (76 in 26 balls, with nine fours and five sixes) shaved off 116 runs in the powerplay, later, Shreyas (71 in 36 balls, with three fours and seven sixes) put partnerships with Nehal Wadhera (25) and Shashank Singh (19), completing the chase in 18.5 overs with six wickets left.