Who is Lungi Ngidi? Know About His Relationships, Family, Career, Stats and More

Lungi Ngidi is a renowned fast bowler for the South African cricket team who has managed to solidify his position in the national side across formats over the years. Lovingly called the Gentle Giant, he is famous for his towering height, standing tall at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93m). His height gives him a special advantage in achieving those full lengths, while also intimidating the batsmen on the other side of the crease. He is known to reach speeds around 140 km/h and is particularly effective with the new ball.

His story of becoming a cricketer is rather impressive as well. He was well on his way to becoming a rugby star, having represented his college in the sport and possessing all the makings of a rugby pro. But he decided to leave rugby to pursue cricket. His heart was so set on cricket that he turned away from a sure-shot rugby career. Well, his decision didn't let him down, and he's now one of the most popular cricketers in the world.

Lungi Ngidi Biography

Lungisani Ngidi was born on March 29, 1996, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, to Jerome and Bongo Ngidi. He began his schooling at Kloof Primary School and Highbury Preparatory School. He then received a scholarship from Hilton College, and he also represented this college for three years in rugby before switching to cricket. This wasn't so hard for him, as he was good at many sports as a kid. However, he particularly excelled in fast bowling and had a knack for this thing. The result is out for everybody to see: he's now dominating world-class batsmen with his exceptional bowling skills.

Lungi Ngidi Religion & Caste

Lungi Ngidi is a Christian, as mentioned in some official records. As far as his caste is concerned, there is no information available anywhere on his caste.

Lungi Ngidi Family

Lungi Ngidi comes from a middle-class family that couldn't even afford cricket kits or other equipment for him. His early as well as college education was all thanks to the scholarships that he won. Still, his parents always supported him with his cricketing journey. They made sure that he got the best training and resources that they could afford.

Lungi Ngidi Father

Lungi Ngidi's father, Jerome Ngidi, worked as service personnel in maintenance at the local School. Other than his name and the fact that he was supportive of all his endeavours, nothing else is known about his father. Unfortunately, his father passed away in 2018 when he was playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Lungi Ngidi Mother

Lungi Ngidi's mother, Bongi Ngidi, worked as a domestic servant. She, too, did everything she could to help her son achieve his dream despite having limited resources. This resilience shown by his mother in tough times is what has been a major driver in Lungi's life to strive for excellence.

Lungi Ngidi Brother

Some verified sources say that he has three brothers, but their names and personal details are not mentioned anywhere. Therefore, it's difficult to give any details on any of them.

Lungi Ngidi Sister

There's no evidence to support the fact that he has a sister. Even if he does, no official record or verified source mentions her anywhere.

Lungi Ngidi Instagram

Lungi Ngidi does have an Instagram account under the handle @lungingidi, where he has around 284k+ followers. He regularly posts pictures and updates of his personal and professional life on the platform.

Lungi Ngidi Twitter

Lungi Ngidi also has an X (formerly known as Twitter) account under the handle @NgidiLungi, where he has 125k+ followers. He frequently posts his thoughts and opinions, and major developments in his career, here on the platform.

Lungi Ngidi Facebook

Lungi Ngidi has a Facebook account too, under the handle Lungi Ngidi, where he has 226k+ followers. However, he hasn't been active lately on this platform, and his last post came on 6 June 2018.

Lundi Ngidi Jersey Number

Lungi Ngidi sports the 22 number jersey in international as well as domestic cricket. He is known to don the same number jersey in the IPL too. However, his jersey number in other T20 leagues isn't confirmed.

Lungi Ngidi Relationships

Lungi Ngidi hasn't revealed anything about his dating life either in interviews or on any public forums. He seems to be very private about his personal life, and keeps all his focus on his career and training. Now, when there's no verified information available, it won't be possible to track his romantic involvements.

Lungi Ngidi Girlfriend

There is no information available about Lungi Ngidi girlfriend; it can't be said whether he has a girlfriend or not.

Lungi Ngidi Net Worth & Salary

Lungi Ngidi has made a name for himself in the world of cricket with his unparalleled bowling prowess. It's obvious that he's going to be worth millions after his outstanding contributions to cricket. According to the latest information, Lungi Ngidi has an estimated net worth of around US$ 4-5 million. All this comes from his Cricket South Africa (CSA) Central Contract worth US$ 350,000, international match fees (US$ 4,500 from Tests, US$ 1,200 from ODIs, and US$ 800 from T20Is), and IPL salary worth ₹1 crore.

Lungi Ngidi Career

Lungi Ngidi started playing cricket from a very young age when he was just 13. He quickly worked his way up and got selected in the youth team Kwa-Zulu Natal U-19. He then moved to the Northern Team in First Class cricket in 2015. In just two years, he earned a call-up for the T20I team of South Africa, and he made his international debut on 20 January 2017 against Sri Lanka at Centurion. A year later, on 13 January 2018, he made his Test debut against India at Centurion, and just a month later, on 07 February 2018, he made his ODI debut against India at Cape Town. He will now be seen tormenting the Australian batters in the WTC 2025 Final. Lungi Ngidi career has been superb as of now.

International Career

He has an amazing bowling career, especially in ODIs, despite being constantly marred by injuries. He has managed to take 55 scalps from 33 Test innings (19 matches) at an average of 23.14 with an all-time best figure of 6/39. He has also claimed 1 four-wicket and 3 five-wicket hauls, and his economy of 3.11 in the format is something to marvel at. In ODIs, he has taken 103 wickets from 66 innings (67 matches) at an average of 29.30 with a best bowling figure of 6/58. He also has 1 five-wicket and 4 four-wicket hauls, and an economy of 5.80 in the format. Moreover, he has 63 wickets from 43 T20I matches at an average of 20.93, with 5/39 being his best figure. He also has a five-wicket haul and 2 four-wicket hauls, and an economy of 9.23 in the format. With the bat, he has scored just 97 runs from 30 Test innings, 124 runs from 27 ODI innings, and 41 runs from 13 T20I innings.

Other Leagues Career

He has participated in a number of T20 Leagues where he has been pivotal to his teams' success with the ball. In the IPL, he has played for two teams so far, Chennai Super Kings (2018-24) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2024), and has taken 29 wickets from 16 matches at an average of 18.24 with a best bowling figure of 4/10. He played his maiden SA20 season for the Paarl Royals the previous year and has taken 26 scalps from 24 matches at an average of 29.26 with a bowling performance of 4/39. He has also been part of the Mzansi Super League for the Tshwane Spartans in the 2019/20 season, where he got 9 wickets from 7 matches at an average of 18.22. In 2024, he played his first Major League Cricket season for Seattle Orcas, but only for 2 matches, where he could only manage to take a single wicket. In all these leagues, he wasn't very effective with the bat.

Lungi Ngidi Achievements & Awards

Lungi Ngidi is an accomplished bowler with several awards and honours to his name. He has displayed extraordinary talent across formats to deserve these accolades. Although his brilliance doesn't need any special recognition, it's mandatory to give talented individuals their due respect. This keeps them motivated to work towards achieving more. Numerous institutions and organisations have given Ngidi a number of titles for his amazing performances throughout the years. The most prominent ones are the CSA Awards for the Cricketer of the Year (ODI and T20I), and the Player of the Match titles from his T20I and Test debut in 2017 and 2018, respectively.