In a big blow to New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 with a grade two tear in right calf. Adam Milne has been named Ferguson replacement for the rest of the tournament.
The news was announced just ahead of New Zealand’s clash against Pakistan on October 26 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Ferguson had bowled in the warm-up game against England and took one wicket for 19 runs in three overs.
Ferguson was instrumental in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) comeback in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Barring the final clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) where he conceded 56 runs from his quota of four overs, the right arm-pacer was economical and picked up crucial wickets for the Kolkata-based franchise. The 30-year-old took 13 wickets from eight games in the second phase of IPL 2021.
The Kiwi speedster has a fantastic record in T20Is. The Auckland-born cricketer has 24 wickets to his name in 13 T20Is including a five-wicket haul. He also has an impressive economy rate of 6.86 which could have proved beneficial in Sharjah conditions.
On the other hand, his replacement Milne played just four matches for Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2021 and took three wickets. He has 28 wickets from 23 games and an economy rate of 7.69.
