Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has defended fellow New Zealander Kyle Jamieson after the latter was punished for his animated send-off to Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the IPL 2026 on Friday.
Playing for the Delhi Capitals (DC), Jamieson celebrated aggressively in Sooryavanshi’s face after taking his wicket for four runs with a brilliant yorker. The BCCI officials deemed it excessive and issued a warning along with a demerit point. It sparked a bit of a debate around the country, with some calling Jamieson’s reaction ‘disrespectful’, while others said it was part of the sport, which Sooryavanshi would understand.
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“Kyle’s a good mate of mine.
He got pretty fired up, which is pretty understandable. Not easy to get wickets in this part of the world, and that was a big one. So I think it’s part of the game. I think fans like to see the passion. I can’t comment on anything from a governing body point of view, but as a player, I think the passion coming out is great for the game,” Ferguson told a roundtable organised by PBKS on Friday.
“As a fan of the game, you like to see players getting passionate, players showing emotion, players being excited to take a wicket. He’s obviously a big guy too, so when a big guy has a lot of emotions, it looks even bigger,” he added.
Ferguson, a big celebrator himself, suggested that such moments contribute to the spectacle of the sport while stopping short of challenging official decisions.
Bowlers’ role in a high-scoring era
Expanding on the broader dynamics of the tournament, Ferguson acknowledged the challenges faced by bowlers in a format increasingly dominated by batters. With flat pitches and deep batting line-ups becoming the norm, he indicated that expectations must adapt accordingly rather than resist the trend.
“It’s just the game. It’s the tournament. When you come into this competition, you know it is going to be high-scoring. The curators do fantastic jobs at these grounds. The wickets are amazing, and the talent coming out of India is remarkable. I think from an Indian point of view, it’s amazing to see this kind of talent coming through the ranks,” Ferguson said.
He also praised PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer for his leadership, noting his composure and consistency despite the pressures of captaincy.
