Less than 12 months ago, Lungi Ngidi was hatching plans with Royal Challengers Bengaluru on ways to bowl at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. He'll be having those same conversations again, just with a different set of team-mates and coaching staff.
Ngidi played just two games in RCB's maiden title-winning season, but bowled decently in the limited chances he got, his 3 for 30 against Chennai Super Kings standing out. As he returns, wearing Delhi Capitals colours, will there be any emotions attached?
"My journey with RCB ended when I was released and then I was picked by Delhi in the auction. I owe it to Delhi Capitals to perform for them," Ngidi said. "They obviously see something in me that I can bring to the team. I've got to perform for the team that I'm playing for.
"I don't play cricket emotionally. That's a very bad place to be in. When I play, no matter who I'm playing against, it's purely business. Yes, I had a great time at RCB and yes, we won the title. But at the end of the season, I was released.
"So, I've got to do what I've got to do for Delhi now because I'm part of the Delhi team."
Ngidi had a solid T20 World Cup, where his dipping slower deliveries and variations helped him pick up 12 wickets in seven games. He has carried that form into IPL 2026, where in four games, he has five wickets, all with slower balls, while maintaining an economy rate of 8.04. His offcutter to outfox Nicholas Pooran in DC's opening game of the season is in contention to be the ball of the season. He has also accounted for Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill as well.
"If I get two wrong, and those are two beamers, I'm out of the bowling attack" Lungi Ngidi takes a risk every time he bowls his big dipper slower ball
The offcutter is a delivery Ngidi learned from Dwayne Bravo in his first season with CSK in 2018. He has, over the years, added a "bit more flight and a bit more revs" on his slower balls, but it has taken him a lot of practice and confidence to be able to execute them in all phases.
"Yes, it takes a lot of confidence to be able to run in bowl a ball and get it to dip on the yorker length," Ngidi said. "It's a brave ball to bowl. It took me almost close to a year to get the confidence to deliver this ball. If I get two wrong, and those are two beamers, I'm out of the bowling attack. So we've got to understand that, it's not just the skill level, it's the confidence as well
"But it has become one of my weapons. There's times where I will get it wrong. And like any other world-class batsman, you can still hit it for a boundary. But the difference is that when I get it right, it creates chances. And I think in T20 cricket, that's what you want.
"It just seems like everyone wants to see everyone bowl fast. But on these wickets and with the bats that are being made these days and the size of the boundaries, pace can travel. So you've got to find something different to try and combat that. That's the only way you stay relevant in this game."
Out of the 94 balls that Ngidi has bowled in this IPL, 70 have either been in the powerplay or death. His death overs economy rate of 6.7 is the best among all the bowlers who have sent down more than 18 balls across overs 17 to 20 this season. But he knows his task will be cut out against RCB, who have a death-overs run-rate of 14.58 in the tournament, which balloons to 19.50 at Chinnaswamy.
The RCB batters also have a solid record against slower deliveries this IPL, striking at 178.04, according to ESPNcricinfo's logs.
"I'm always bowling under pressure. I bowl in the powerplay and I bowl at the death," Ngidi said. "It can only go one of two ways. It's either you get wickets and you stem the flow of runs or guys can score runs because either way, guys are swinging when I'm bowling. Someone's got to do the dirty job, and I guess that's me.
"So I've got to find ways to succeed while doing that dirty job. And for that, whatever tricks I can pull out, whether it be slower balls or hiding [the ball], just changing grips, things like that. We can't just keep doing the same thing. It's not getting any easier for us as bowlers. So we've got to trust in ourselves, we've got to practise different skills. And then at the end of the day, it just comes down to execution.
"A lot of people sit on the side and they say, 'oh, well, why didn't you just bowl this ball?' Well, because I'm 22 yards away and I've got to get it pinpoint on or someone can easily hit that for six. So mentally, you've got to be very strong. But skillfully, you've also got to be very good."
Ngidi believes T20 cricket is changing the way bowlers think. "The game doesn't allow us anymore to just run in and hit the top of off for six balls," he said. "Yes, it may work for some bowlers who are maybe a bit taller or you're a bit shorter, you've got a different action. But if you've got a clean action and you're of average height, if you bowl the same six balls, I can probably say two of them are going to go for a boundary.
"Having the variations is always good because sometimes you need them when something is not working, you try something else."
The IPL, in particular, is slower-ball friendly with its provision for reviewing wides. "I do feel it's [slower wide yorker] one of the most effective balls because it's also got no pace on it," Ngidi said. "If it's got no pace, you've landed it in the right area and it's inside the wide line... but, everything takes practice and repetition. It's very close margins.
"I think we're lucky that we can review those wides because before you would actually bowl it on the line or just inside the line and the umpire still calls it a wide. And you feel like that's a bit unfair. It helps now that we have the review, where we can overturn those decisions because it is a massive factor for a bowler. If you can land that ball, you know, that's one ball out of the way."
The allure of the speed gun is such that bowlers bowling at 150 clicks hog the limelight but Ngidi is content with life on the slow lane. He has been part of IPL teams since 2018 but injuries and team combinations have limited his appearances to just 20. But at DC, he has been given a consistent run and as he returns to his former home ground, he will hope to play a part in helping breach fortress Chinnaswamy.
