Lockie Ferguson

Fast and furious is what defines Lockie Ferguson the best. His ability to bowl quickly makes him a match-winner for the Kiwis. In an era where the bowlers reduce their pace in order to concentrate on line and length, Ferguson’s undying love for the bowling makes him a very special cricketer.

A genuine fast bowler who hits the deck hard, Ferguson is a nightmare for the opposition batters. His ability to generate raw pace handed him a first-class debut in the 2012/13 domestic season for Auckland. He had a decent debut season, but it was in the 2014/15 season that he rose to fame, and people began to notice him.

The right-arm fast bowler took 21 wickets and terrorised the opposition with his natural pace. The following season, Ferguson registered 31 wickets and knocked on the doors of the selectors on a regular basis.

Lockie Ferguson's ODI career

In the year 2016, Lachlan Hammond (Lockie) Ferguson's opportunity came in the ODI series against arch-rivals, Australia. Making his ODI debut on 4 December 2016, Ferguson had a night to forget as he was hammered for 73 runs, but took David Warner’s wicket.

His ability to bowl at speeds exceeding 90 mph earned him the trust of the national selectors for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. In the match against Bangladesh, Ferguson took his 50th ODI wicket. It was in this very tournament that he became a household name. 

New Zealand reached the finals of the World Cup, and Ferguson was one of the key players for them, picking up 21 wickets at an average of 19.47, the second-highest tally behind Mitchell Starc. He bowled with raw pace, and for his excellent performance throughout the tournament, Ferguson was rewarded with a place in the ICC ‘Team of the Tournament’. 

The quickie got a maiden chance to captain the national side in September 2020 against Bangladesh for the three-match ODI series, in the absence of regular captain Kane Williamson and stand-in captain Tom Latham. 

Lockie Ferguson's T20I career

In 2017, the New Zealand board decided to try him in the shortest format of the game. Lockie Ferguson made his T20I debut on 3 January 2017 against Bangladesh and took 2 wickets in his first two deliveries.

Lockie Ferguson took his maiden five-wicket haul in the shortest format of the game three years later on 27th November 2020 against the West Indies. 

After missing out on playing his maiden T20 World Cup 2021, Ferguson was named in New Zealand’s squad for the 2024 tournament. Notably, in their group stage game against Papua New Guinea on 17th June 2024, Ferguson returned figures of 3/0 in four overs, becoming the first player to bowl four maidens in a Men's T20 World Cup match and the 2nd bowler after Saad Bin Zafar in T20Is.

Lockie Ferguson's Test career

In November 2017, Lockie Ferguson was handed his maiden Test cap. The Auckland-based cricketer made his long-awaited Test debut against the Aussies. But just like his ODI debut, Ferguson was average, playing his first Test match, and couldn’t register a single wicket to his name.

Despite a decade-long international career, Ferguson has participated in only a solitary Test match and appears to be excluded from New Zealand's long-term plans for the longest format.

Lockie Ferguson's IPL Career

Known for his express pace, Lockie Ferguson was bought for INR 50 lakhs by the Rising Pune Supergiant for the IPL 2017. However, his prominent performance came for the Gujarat Titans during their title-winning season in 2022. The Kiwi took 12 wickets in 13 matches, fairly justifying his price of INR 10 crore. 

Moreover, he has also played for the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Punjab Kings in the cash-rich league. 

(As of February 2026)