Former India opener Aakash Chopra has raised concerns about Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) releasing South African pacer Lungi Ngidi ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. This follows Ngidi taking three wickets for his new team, Delhi Capitals (DC), in a match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 1.
Ngidi delivered a strong opening spell, with a standout moment being the wicket of Nicholas Pooran. He bowled a clever slower yorker that left the West Indian batter bewildered.
Chopra praised Ngidi’s impact alongside his fast-bowling partner T. Natarajan. Ngidi entered the 2026 IPL season after a successful run, taking 12 wickets in the T20 World Cup at an economy rate of 7.19.
“T Natarajan, who was injured last season, bowled well this time. He took three wickets, and Lungi Ngidi has been exceptional. Over the last 17 or 18 months, he has become one of the most improved bowlers,” Chopra mentioned on his YouTube channel.
Ngidi was part of RCB’s title-winning team in 2025 but only played two matches. Despite his minimal appearances, he was let go before the mini auction, costing RCB just INR 1 crore.
RCB’s loss turned into DC’s benefit, as they acquired him for his base price of INR 2 crore.
“RCB might be questioning their decision to release him for INR 1 crore, especially since they were unaware of Josh Hazlewood’s injury at the time. They should have held onto him. RCB’s loss is Delhi’s gain. Lungi Ngidi was fantastic,” he added.
Now, while RCB is missing Josh Hazlewood and Ngidi, they have found a suitable replacement in New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy. Duffy was also bought at a base price of INR 2 crore and took three wickets on his debut for the defending champions during their win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on opening night.