New Zealand and Punjab Kings (PBKS) pacer Lockie Ferguson has come in support of his fellow Kiwi pacer Kyle Jamieson. Jamieson has been under fire for his over-the-top reaction after dismissing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the recent IPL 2026 game between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals in Jaipur.
It was in the second over of the RR innings when, after being hit for a four by Sooryavanshi, the tall New Zealand pacer made a terrific comeback and bowled the 15-year-old opener with a perfect yorker-length delivery.
Jamieson, clearly ecstatic following the expulsion, whirled away in celebration and locked eyes with Sooryavanshi as he walked back, his heated glare adding to the early breakthrough.
However, the fast bowler was found in violation of the Indian Premier League Code of Conduct and received one penalty point for his violent send-off to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, during which he roared in elation while looking at the opener.
"Kyle Jamieson has accumulated one demerit point and received a warning for breaching Level 1 of the IPL's Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during Match No. 43 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur," an IPL statement read.
The Kiwi pacer was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the IPL's Code of Conduct, which relates to "using language, actions, or gestures that disparage or that could provoke an aggressive reaction from another player in the match."
Now, Jamieson has received support from his senior New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson, who called his celebration a part of the game.
“Yeah, Kyle's a good mate of mine. He got pretty fired up, which is pretty understandable; it's 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,” Ferguson told India Today.
Ferguson, however, didn’t comment on whether the guidelines were tougher for bowlers when compared to other fielders. He did say that showing emotion is what makes the game engaging for fans.
“I think celebration; I think fans like to see the passion, so 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. As a fan of the game, you like to see players getting passionate, players showing emotion, and players being excited to take a wicket,” he added.
Ferguson also emphasized the significance of establishing a distinct line between what is considered flagrant provocation and what is within the spirit of the game.
“Obviously, there are times maybe where it steps over the mark, but for the game of cricket, it shows how much the players love playing here and love competing. And then when they have success, you can see the emotion coming out. He's obviously a big guy too, so when a big guy has a lot of emotions, it looks even bigger,” he added.
The Kings' bowling has been poorly executed, giving up 200-plus totals five times and 195 once in seven completed innings, despite the fact that they have been hammering their way to victory and scoring high run chases.
“So, we're trying to execute; some days not so good, but at the same time, the skill sets that are involved with this bowling attack led by Arshdeep (Singh) and Yuzi (Chahal)—I thought the spinners were fantastic last game. So, trying to make little adjustments, trying to tighten up in areas. We know within the IPL how small margins can look a lot bigger on TV, but we're just trying to tighten up on areas and try to double down on our planning,” Ferguson added.
PBKS next takes on the Gujarat Titans on Sunday, May 2, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
