The big surprise in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction came when Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) got into a massive bidding war for Josh Inglis in the accelerated auction, which led to the Australian star being purchased by the Risahbh Pant-led team for a whopping Rs. 8.6 crore after the player was released by Punjab Kings (PBKS), with it emerging that the wicket-keeper batter was available for only four games in the 19th edition of the tournament due to his wedding.
While many assumed it was a case of getting a player for the following season, it has now emerged that both LSG and SRH might have had more information on the case than PBKS and their head coach, Ricky Ponting. It is worth noting that both franchises have people close to the Australian team in charge, as LSG has Justin Langer as head coach and Tom Moody as head coach, while SRH’s head coach Daniel Vettori is the national team’s assistant coach, while they are led by Pat Cummins, who is also the captain of the Australian team.
Josh Inglis Set To Postpone Honeymoon
A report by Cricbuzz has revealed that Inglis might be looking to change his plans. The player is set to get married on 18th April and was set to go for a honeymoon immediately after that and only make himself available for the final few games of the league stage. However, the published information states that after LSG’s massive bid, Inglis might postpone his honeymoon and immediately join the LSG camp post the wedding.
The published information states that PBKS are not happy with the situation after they released the player just 45 minutes before the deadline and are set to approach the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the issue. Meanwhile, a notification by BCCI to the franchises before the auction had also claimed that he is only available for four games. The report states that the Punjab-based franchise are set to approach the BCCI over the issue.
Ness Wadia Hits Out At ‘Unprofessional’ Josh Inglis
Meanwhile, PBKS co-owner Ness Wadia lashed out at Inglis and labelled the player ‘unprofessional’ as he revealed that the player only let them know about his unavailability just minutes before the deadline for teams to submit their list of retained and released players (November 15).
“We didn’t really let go of Josh. I mean, Josh unfortunately, sadly, only told us at the last minute, which was not very fair, given that he had been with us for a while. I think everyone knew when the retention was coming, and we were informed by him 45 minutes before the deadline that he was getting married and needed time to relax and recuperate. He said he was going to be available only for a couple of weeks.
We told him he should have informed us earlier. I don’t think it was very professional of him. I don’t think it is very professional of anyone if they know there is a deadline. You can’t call someone 45 minutes before and say, ‘Hey, I’m not coming,’ especially when he knew that we were retaining him,” said Wadia in an interaction with the Hindu.
“But I wish him all the best. He is a good player and I am sure he will do well for Australia. And let’s see whether he plays in the IPL or not. I wish him all the best because he is a fellow human being. But the manner in which he behaved was not very professional,” Wadia added.
Josh Inglis Confirms Unavailability
However, Inglis himself confirmed he was not available for the whole season on the second day of the third Ashes Test in a chat with the broadcaster. The player claimed he was not surprised at going unsold in the first round and stated he did not expect a bid. However, the 30-year-old did not mention how long he was not going to play.
“Well, I sort of watched a lot of it [IPL auction] and I was pushed back in the pecking order. I don’t have full availability this year. I’m getting married in early April. So, I didn’t really expect to go, to be honest. So I sort of saw my name go by unsold… the first one I was like ‘alright stuff this, I’m going to bed’ and I need to switch on for tomorrow [Ashes] and then woke up to the news. I didn’t know until I’d seen a few messages this morning,” Inglis said.
Massive Pay Rise for Josh Inglis
Through the entire situation, Inglis has earned himself a massive pay rise. The Australian was purchased by PBKS for Rs. 2.60 crores but will now earn Rs. 8.6 crores, meaning a Rs. 6 crores rise (230.77% hike).
He was a key part of PBKS’ brilliant campaign in the 2025 season, where they reached the final. Inglis made 278 runs in 11 innings at a strike-rate of 162.57, with the standout memory being his takedown of Jasprit Bumrah in the second qualifier.