The speculations have been rising regarding Josh Inglis’ involvement in the IPL 2026 season, and the uncertainty surrounding the Australian wicket-keeper batter’s availability. The 30-year-old was not retained by the Punjab Kings because he has been unable to participate in the entire season due to his own commitments, which include his wedding.
Inglis had been given a hope by all ten franchises that he would remain with them only for a limited period, as intimated by the BCCI, yet Lucknow Super Giants, also known as Lucknow, picked Inglis at a whopping price of INR 8.60 crores, which has left many people surprised, with reports of possible miscommunication or a last-minute change of heart from Inglis himself surfacing now.
---Advertisement---
Also Read: IPL chairman explains why players like Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma can’t play overseas T20 leagues
---Advertisement---
According to a report from Cricbuzz, Inglis might have the ability to participate in the IPL for a longer period than what was expected earlier, which has upset the Punjab Kings. The finalists for the 2025 edition appear to have plans to request the BCCI for clarity on the issue at hand. It may be recalled that the PBKS had notified the board regarding the release of Inglis only 45 minutes prior to the retention deadline on November 15.
At that stage, Inglis has communicated to PBKS that he is to be married on April 18, following which he would depart for his honeymoon right away, which would limit his availability for a short period of 10-14 days in Late May. But things might have altered for him.
Also Read: Bad news for Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR as new Rs 9.2 crore buy may miss few matches of IPL 2026 due to…
In a bidding war that took place during a mini auction in Abu Dhabi, a bidding war ensued between Lucknow Super Giants and SunRisers Hyderabad for Inglis’ services, with LSG finally purchasing him for over 8 crores, a huge surge of over 6 crores from his last deal with Punjab.
According to the Cricbuzz report, Justin Langer and Tom Moody, who were at LSG, as well as Daniel Vettori and Pat Cummins, who were at SRH, seemed to know more about the status of the player than Ricky Ponting, the head coach of Punjab Kings. Inglis may now delay his honeymoon and join the IPL soon after the wedding, according to what is now believed. Justin Langer, the current head of the coaching team at LSG, is reportedly holding negotiations with the player. Inglis had a decent season in IPL 2025 as well, scoring 278 runs in 11 innings at an average of 30.88 with a strike rate of 162.6. Later in the season, he scored an important 73 off 42 deliveries in the final league game against PBKS that helped the team qualify in the top-two positions, and a blitzkrieg of 38 in 21 deliveries in the sophomore Qualifier 2 that helped the Shreyas Iyer-led side qualify for the final.