Delhi Capitals could not bring in Dushmanth Chameer as a concussion replacement for injured pacer Lungi Ngidi during their IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings due to an IPL rule that allows only four overseas players in a match.Ngidi suffered a head injury while trying to catch Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday and had to be taken off the field in an ambulance before being taken to hospital.Following the incident, Delhi Capitals brought in Vipraj Nigam as a concussion replacement in place of Sri Lankan pacer Chameer, leading to questions as to why a similar fast bowling replacement was not used.DC Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao explained during the post-match press conference that the team had no choice as they were already playing four overseas players in the playing eleven, the maximum allowed by IPL rules.Since concussion replacements also have to follow the same rule for overseas players, Chameera could not be brought in as he would have crossed four overseas.Rao said that was why the team had to go with Vipraj instead.“Only four overseas players are allowed. There is a rule. We cannot take a fifth overseas player,” he said.Another reason was that Delhi had already used Auqib Nabi as their impact player during the match, further limiting their bowling options.Among the available players left in the squad of 15, Vipraj was the only player who could bowl, although he is a spinner and not a pace bowler like Ngidi.Ngidi was trying to clear a mistake from Priyansh Arya off the bowling of Axar Patel on the third ball of the second over when he misjudged the trajectory of the ball.The ball went past his outstretched right hand while in the air and the South African landed on his back and the back of his head hit the ground.He was immediately clutching his head in pain as medical staff rushed in with stretchers. He was later taken to a hospital in an ambulance while the Delhi Traffic Police created a green corridor to help the vehicle move through the traffic quickly.The IPL later confirmed that Ngidi was stable and expected to be released soon.When DC opted to bat first, an entertaining 220-run second wicket stand between KL Rahul (152 in 67 balls, with 16 fours and nine sixes) and Nitish Rana (91 in 44 balls, with 11 fours and four sixes) took DC to 264/2.PBKS didn’t lay down their weapons either as Priyansh Arya (43 in 17 balls, with two fours and five sixes) and Prabhsimran (76 in 26 balls, with nine fours and five sixes) shaved off 116 runs in the powerplay, later Shreyas (71 in 36 balls, with three sixes (Neshales) and four Wat and Waits. Shashank Singh (19), completed the chase run in 18.5 overs with six wickets.
