Indian Premier League commentators are calling for the inclusion of Blackcaps speedster Lockie Ferguson as his Kolkata Knight Riders languish at the bottom of the competition ladder.
After a 10-run victory in their opening match of this year's tournament, Kolkata has now lost their last four games on the bounce, struggling to fire under the leadership of coach, former Blackcaps captain, Brendon McCullum.
But sitting dead last on the ladder, McCullum could find a saviour in his compatriot Ferguson, one of the fastest bowlers on the planet.
The IPL's regulations mean that a team can play no more than four overseas players in a given matchday squad, which could force a reshuffle from the Knight Riders' coaching staff.
At present, the Knight Riders' overseas spots have been filled by England's Eoin Morgan, West Indians Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, and Australian test vice-captain Pat Cummins.
Ferguson and fellow Kiwi Tim Seifert are yet to feature in the 2021 edition of the tournament.
Speaking as part of ESPN's post-match coverage, former India quick Ajit Agarkar says Ferguson now has to come into the Knight Riders' side.
"They've got to seriously look at someone like Lockie Ferguson to come into the XI," says Agarkar.
"Whether it's at the expense of Morgan, whether it's at the expense of Pat Cummins or Sunil Narine, because he's someone who'll win you games on these pitches.
"When he came into the team last season - he provided something different to the attack. Lots of raw pace and wicket-taking ability.
"At the moment, as good as the seamers are you can't see them blowing teams away. Lockie Ferguson on his day has that ability.
"When you're making changes or struggling a little bit as a team, you should always look at who's likely to win you a game on the night.
"Not to say that Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine, or Morgan isn't, but at this point in time, they're not doing it. So why not look at other options?"
Agarkar's sentiments were echoed by South Africa's all-time leading wicket-taker Dale Steyn, who went further to say that Ferguson should come into the side at the expense of Cummins.
"Cummins being the fantastic player that he is, he hasn't really excelled with the ball yet," Steyn says.
"Although he's scored some runs and done okay with them. But, you might see them go and adopt quite a bold strategy, and bring in Lockie just for a game or two, to see if there's any difference he could make."
Ferguson has been part of the Knight Riders' set-up since 2019, sold for 1.60 crore or just over $NZ330,000.
