New Zealand suffered a big blow to their Champions Trophy 2025 prospects when lead pacer Lockie Ferguson was ruled out of the tournament with a foot injury he suffered during a practice game against Afghanistan.
The speedster was subsequently also sent back home for his rehabilitation with no confirmed update on his recovery time.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 will begin on March 22, just a couple of weeks after the Champions Trophy final. It means Ferguson might not be available for a good chunk of the league or completely out of it.
Punjab Kings had brought the Kiwi pacer for INR 2 crore in the November auction and will now have to search for replacements as they aim for a playoffs spot for the first time after a decade.
Here are the best-suited replacement for the Black Caps pacer who has been very successful in the IPL.
Alzarri Joseph first burst on to the scene in the IPL as part of a Mumbai Indian’s fiery pace attack in 2019. The Antiguan later moved to Gujarat Titans for two successful campaigns in 2022 and 2023 before playing three games for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) last season.
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Joseph played an instrumental role in MI Emirates reaching the playoffs in the International League T20 (ILT20) with 16 wickets from 10 matches at an average of 21 and an economy of 8.
Another apt right-arm pace option to replace Ferguson is his international teammate William O’Rourke. The 6 feet 8 inches pacer has been a menace ever since making his debut in late 2023. O’Rourke will most likely shoulder the bowling responsibility for New Zealand Ferguson’s absence and can do the same for Punjab Kings in the IPL as well.
The 23-year-old played nine matches in New Zealand’s Super Smash T20 and claimed eight wickets at an economy of 8.06. He also had an excellent outing in the Tri-Series, claiming 4-43 in the final against Pakistan.
The Zimbabwe pacer has been sought out by franchise leagues across the world and Punjab Kings might have to call on his services after his recent exploits in the ILT20.
He was joint-third among wickettakers in the 2025 season with 16 wickets from 10 games at a superb economy of 6 and an average of 16. He then picked up 13 wickets from four innings in the series against Ireland. After being part of Lucknow Super Giants as a net bowler in IPL 2022, it is high time Muzarabani gets a chance to play in the IPL.
The right-arm pacer is enjoying a great start to his international career, picking up 17 wickets from 12 T20Is, including a 4-11 in the 2024 T20 World Cup. His contributions of 11 wickets from 10 games at an economy of 7.71 helped Sunrisers Eastern Cape reach a third successive final in SA20.
The 31-year-old is disciplined with his lines and has the experience of playing three major T20 finals in his short career at the highest level. Even though he doesn’t have the express pace of Ferguson, he can be good foil for Arshdeep Singh, Vyshak Vijay Kumar and his SEC teammate Marco Jansen.
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