Lungisani Ngidi

Lungisani True-man Ngidi is a South African right-arm fast bowler known for his versatility. He represents the South African cricket team in the international arena and has played for numerous franchises in various global T20 leagues. The 28-year-old is comfortable in opening the bowling as well as bowling the death overs. 

Born on March 29, 1996, in Durban, Natal, the South African has the capability to bowl at speeds over 140 km/h consistently and can trouble the batters with his short-pitched deliveries. His tall and lean physique coupled with a solid bowling action aids him in bowling rapidly at regular intervals.

Lungisani Ngidi: Along the Years

Lungisani Ngidi Records 

• Second South African bowler to take a five-wicket haul against India on Test debut

• Seventh South African to win the ‘Player Of The Match’ on Test debut

• Fastest South African bowler to take 50 wickets in ODIs (26 matches)

• Fastest South African pacer to take 50 wickets in T20Is (32 matches)

• Second-fastest South African bowler to take 50 wickets in T20Is (32 matches)

• First cricketer to be auctioned in the SA20

Lungisani Ngidi Awards

• Africa T20 Cup Player of the Year 2016 by Cricket South Africa

• Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2020 by Cricket South Africa

• Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2020 by Cricket South Africa

Lungisani Ngidi Career

Lungisani Ngidi started his professional career on an optimistic note. He has been handy with his pace and has been in good stead for various franchise leagues.

Lungisani Ngidi Domestic Career

Lungisani Ngidi began playing at a very young age and was involved in provincial cricket starting from the Under-13 format. He started playing cricket at the age of 13 in the provincial age-group cricket, where he represented the Kwa-Zulu Natal Under-19 team and performed well for them.

He made his debut in South Africa’s domestic circuit in 2015 playing for Northerns. Soon after his debut for the team, Ngidi was included in the Northerns T20 squad for the 2015 Africa T20 Cup.

He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, taking 6 wickets at an average of 12.5. Consequently, he was named the Africa T20 Cup Player of the Year in 2016. Following an exceptional performance in the 2015 Africa T20 Cup, Ngidi was bought by Titans for the 2015-2016 season. Titans ended up winning both the seasons while Ngidi emerged as a central figure.

In the SA20, Ngidi represents the Paarl Royals. He has played a total of 19 matches and taken 24 wickets. He picked up his career-best figures of 4/39 against the Pretoria Capitals in SA20 2024. In Major League Cricket 2024, he played a couple of matches for the Seattle Orcas.

Lungisani Ngidi IPL Career

Riding high on his domestic and international career performances, Lungisani Ngidi, in January 2018, was bought by the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 IPL auction for INR 50 lakhs (USD 78,650). He played 7 matches in the season and took 11 wickets in CSK's fairytale return to the IPL fold.

However, Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of IPL 2019 with an injury before the start of the season. Chennai Super Kings had then picked Kiwi bowling all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijn as his replacement. He was expected to don the canary yellow of CSK in 2020 and prove to his naysayers that he has finally put to bed his string of injuries.

A disastrous season for the Super Kings meant Ngidi could not make a mark in IPL 2020. He took 9 wickets in the four games he played but was expensive at 10.43 runs per over. In the next season, Ngidi picked a three-wicket haul against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, he received flak for conceding 62 runs off 4 overs against the Mumbai Indians (MI). He was at the receiving end of a Kieron Pollard onslaught as MI chased a mammoth 219. 

Ngidi was released ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction and the Delhi Capitals acquired him for INR 50 lakhs. He is yet to debut for the Capitals. In IPL 2024, he was ruled out due to an injury and was eventually replaced by Aussie youngster Jake Fraser McGurk. 

Lungisani Ngidi International Career

Lungisani Ngidi has forged a healthy partnership with South African pace sensation Kagiso Rabada. Ngidi burst onto the international scene with fiery spells and would be looking forward to contributing more for the Proteas in the coming years with his genuine pace.

Lungisani Ngidi ODI career

Following a phenomenal Test debut, Lungisani Ngidi was also included in the ODI series against India. However, he was expensive, giving away 47 runs in 6 overs without taking a wicket. Injuries have been part and parcel of Ngidi's career and his hamstring flare-up resulted in the speedster missing a few matches in the showpiece ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 - a tournament to forget for himself and his team.

In the second ODI of Australia’s tour of South Africa in early 2020, Ngidi picked up his maiden ODI five-wicket haul. He registered his career-best figures of 6/58 as SA won by 6 wickets. He also became the fastest South African bowler to secure 50 ODI wickets in the same match, surpassing the previously held record by left-arm pacer Lonwabo Tsotsobe. 

The right-arm pacer featured in 8 matches for South Africa at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

He picked up a total of 10 wickets at an economy of 5.86, but the Proteas were knocked out by eventual champions Australia in the second semifinal. 

Lungisani Ngidi Test Career 

Lungisani Ngidi’s Test debut came against India in 2018 at the age of 21. Impressing again on his debut, Ngidi turned heads with his pace and bounce. He took 6 wickets in the second innings which included the vital wicket of the then Indian captain, Virat Kohli. Ngidi was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his 6 wickets for 39 runs in the second innings. 

Ngidi registered his second five-wicket haul in the first Test of South Africa’s tour of West Indies in June 2021. He bowled in tandem with South African pace battery Rabada and Anrich Nortje.

In India’s tour of South Africa 2021-22, he picked up his third five-wicket haul in the first Test at Centurion. He returned with figures of 24-5-71-6. 

Lungisani Ngidi T20I Career 

Lungisani Ngidi’s international debut came in the T20I format in the year 2017 at Centurion against Sri Lanka. Bowling brilliantly, he took two wickets to carry South Africa to a win and was awarded the Man of the Match award for the same.

Ngidi went on to feature for the South African team in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 but did not feature in a single game. In the first T20I of South Africa’s tour of England, he picked up his maiden five-wicket haul but it went in vain as England won the game by 41 runs.

Ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, South Africa toured India as a preparatory measure. He became the second-fastest South African bowler to reach the milestone of 50 T20I wickets in the third and final T20I. 

The South African pacer was drafted into the South African squad to play at the T20 World Cup 2022 held in Australia.

He scalped 7 wickets in 4 games at an average of 16.57. He picked up a match-winning four-wicket haul against India and was awarded the ‘Player of the Match.’.  

Ngidi missed out on a spot in the provisional 15-member squad to represent South Africa at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. He was named as a traveling reserve for the tournament's eventual runners-up Proteas.

Lungisani Ngidi’s Family

Lungisani Ngidi belongs to a modest family background as his father, Jerome Ngidi works in the maintenance department at the Kloof Junior School. Since his childhood, he has been a bright, obedient, and well-disciplined person.

During his school days, he wanted to be a rugby player, but as he suffered a lot of injuries throughout his school and, to avoid further risk, he dropped the idea of becoming a rugby player and started focusing on cricket. 

Lungisani Ngidi’s House

Lungisani Ngidi bought his own house and posted it on his official Instagram handle in 2021.