South African pacer Lungi Ngidi on Sunday posted his first reaction to the horrific injury he suffered in the Saturday IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings.
In a brightly coloured Instagram Story, the cricketer thanked fans for their support, assuring them that he was on the road to recovery.
"Thank you for the messages all good," he wrote.
How Ngidi got injured
During the match on Saturday, Ngidi had been preparing to try and catch PBKS batter Priyansh Arya, carefully positioning himself at the mid-off.
However, when the ball flew over his head, the bowler extended his arm to catch it, but ended up losing his balance and falling backward.
Ngidi not only hit the back of his head on the ground, but also happened to roll over on it due to the momentum, which instantly had him clutching his neck in pain.
The match was paused for a significant amount of time as the physio and doctors rushed on to the field to check on Ngidi. His neck and head were eventually supported by a brace, and he was rushed to the hospital via an ambulance that arrived on the field.
He has since been discharged from the BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi.
Can he play on?
The South African bowler underwent several tests—including a CT scan—at the hospital, which confirmed that he had suffered no serious brain or spine injuries.
Despite the hospital discharge, he is likely to miss the next match, as the doctor has advised him to rest. A few reports claimed that Australian veteran Mitchell Starc will play for him, but THE WEEK could not independently confirm this.