Josh Inglis Confirms Wedding Plans Will Limit IPL Availability in 2026

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, bought by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 8.6 crore at the recent IPL mini-auction, has confirmed that he will not be fully available for the 2026 season. Inglis is set to marry in early April, and with IPL 2026 running from March 26 to May 31, he will miss a portion of the tournament.

"Well, I sort of watched a lot of it [IPL auction] and I was pushed back in the pecking order," said Inglis. "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."

Ricky Ponting Hints at Partial Availability

Though his former IPL coach at Punjab Kings, Ricky Ponting, had indicated that Inglis would be available partially at IPL 2026 after being released by the franchise, the player sparked off a bidding war when he did not initially get sold.

Lucknow Super Giants finally outbid Sunrisers Hyderabad to secure Inglis, who will reunite with his coach, Justin Langer, with whom he had previously worked at Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League.

Disagreement Over IPL Availability Timing

Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia revealed that Inglis had informed the franchise just 45 minutes before the deadline that he wouldn't be available for the full IPL season. Wadia expressed disappointment over the timing of the communication. "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," Wadia told.

"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 [three games]."

"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. 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."

Inglis’ IPL Impact and Career Stats

Inglis made an impact in the Punjab Kings lineup in his first season in the IPL and scored 278 in 11 innings with an average of 30.88 and a strike rate of 162.57. His list featured a match-winning 73 off 42 balls against a Jasprit Bumrah-led Mumbai Indians attack in Jaipur. Inglis has made 3,853 runs in 152 T20 innings with an average of 29.86 and a strike rate of slightly less than 150.