Delhi Capitals pacer Lungi Ngidi has shown encouraging signs of recovery after being discharged from hospital and returning to the Delhi Capitals team hotel in New Delhi, with sources indicating that the pacer is “doing well” and will continue to be monitored closely by the franchise’s medical staff. 

“Lungi Ngidi is doing well and has now returned to the DC team hotel in New Delhi. Him being sent back to the hotel after being discharged from the hospital is a positive indication of his recovery, and the franchise medical staff will continue to take good care of him,” sources told IANS.

In the third over of Punjab Kings chase, Ngidi fell backwards while trying to catch Priyansh Arya at mid-off, banging his head hard into the turf. He clutched his head immediately and lay on the ground as medical staff rushed in. Play was halted for 15 minutes before Ngidi was stretchered into an ambulance, amidst players, coaches and medical staff having tense expressions.

In a swift and coordinated effort, the Delhi Traffic Police facilitated a green corridor that enabled Ngidi’s movement from the stadium to BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, located near Rajendra Nagar Metro Station, in just 11 minutes.

A stretcher was brought out as the crowd fell silent, sensing the seriousness of the situation. Ngidi’s teammates David Miller and Tristan Stubbs looked visibly shaken, while DC coach Hemang Badani gestured for a neck brace to be applied to him.

To add more to the scary and disturbing scenes, an ambulance was wheeled onto the ground as doctors and physios along with players and coaches surrounded the pacer. Though Ngidi was able to communicate with the medical staff via hand gestures, he wasn’t able to move his neck and head regions.

A neck brace was slid under his head before he was strapped onto the stretcher and then taken off the field in an ambulance. Ngidi was replaced in DC’s playing eleven by leg-spin bowling all-rounder Vipraj Nigam, who came in as a concussion substitute.