Why Lockie Ferguson is Not Playing Today in NZ vs CAN T20 World Cup 2026?

New Zealand will take on Canada in the 31st match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The Kiwis will be looking to return to winning ways after their defeat to South Africa in the last match. The toss went Canada's way and they decided to bat first.
But New Zealand's stand-in captain Daryl Mitchell revealed that Lockie Ferguson is not playing in today's game. Ferguson has been performing well in this format as is among the best T20 bowlers in the world.

Why Lockie Ferguson is Not Playing Today Against Canada?

New Zealand's star pacer Lockie Ferguson will miss the crucial clash against Canada as he has been granted parental leave for the birth of his child. He travelled back to New Zealand and as a result, he will miss this encounter. But Daryl Mitchell mentioned that Ferguson will join the team soon.

Meanwhile, the NZ team management have brought in Kyle Jamieson as Lockie Ferguson replacement. Jamieson is almost a like-for-like replacement for the Kiwis, however, he won't provide the extra pace that Ferguson has. But Jamieson's inclusion means that New Zealand will have more batting depth for the NZ vs CAN T20 World Cup 2026 match.

Lockie Ferguson had already informed the selectors of his unavailability before the start of the tournament. The right-arm fast bowler is a key bowler for the Kiwis in white-ball cricket and has excellent variations for the slog overs.

NZ head coach Rob Walter spoke on Ferguson's absence from his team's last group stage match against Canada. However, he mentioned that the fast bowler will return before the crucial Super 8 stage.

"It's an incredibly exciting time for Lockie and Emma and we're pleased that he'll be at home for such a special occasion," said Walter.

Lockie Ferguson's Modest Numbers in T20 World Cup 2026

Ferguson has picked up 4 wickets this tournament in three matches that he played so far. The veteran fast bowler has bowled at an average of 27 and an economy rate of 9.67. While he hasn't been at his best, he is likely to play a key role for New Zealand in the upcoming matches.

Apart from this change, NZ's regular skipper Mitchell Santner, one of the best all-rounders in the world, also missed today's game since he was ill. He has performed well in the previous matches and in a crucial encounter against Canada, New Zealand will miss their captain.