Josh Inglis Sparks Controversy After Big IPL Bid Amid Personal Commitments
Josh Inglis' Unexpected IPL Auction Outcome
New Delhi: Australian cricketer Josh Inglis, initially expected to participate in only four matches of the upcoming IPL season, has stirred up a storm following a significant bid from the Lucknow Super Giants during the recent player auction. This unexpected turn has raised eyebrows within the BCCI and his former team, Punjab Kings.
Prior to the auction, Punjab Kings had released Inglis due to his limited availability, despite their desire to keep him on the roster. The BCCI had previously communicated to all franchises that Inglis would only be available for four matches in IPL 2026 due to his wedding plans.
The situation is now under scrutiny by the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council, as there are speculations that Inglis might adjust his personal schedule to accommodate IPL commitments.
In a competitive bidding process, the Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad vied for the 30-year-old player, with Lucknow ultimately securing him for ₹8.6 crore, a substantial increase from his previous contract with Punjab.
This incident has sparked discussions about whether Inglis may have exploited the situation, prompting the BCCI and the Governing Council to investigate further.
"The communication regarding Inglis' availability was clear, but we need to verify if there have been any changes to his personal plans or if the teams were privy to information that others were not," a source close to the matter revealed.
As of now, Punjab Kings have not filed an official complaint.
Inglis is set to marry on April 18, followed by a honeymoon, which would conflict with a significant portion of IPL 2026, starting March 26.
Both Lucknow and Sunrisers have a strong Australian influence in their teams, with Justin Langer and Tom Moody coaching Lucknow, while current Australian captain Pat Cummins leads Sunrisers.
Daniel Vettori, the head coach of Sunrisers, has also been serving as an assistant coach for the Australian men's team since 2022.
Despite the controversy, neither team has publicly commented on the situation.
"He was expected to miss due to personal reasons, but circumstances can change. We thought that given Dan's relationship with him, he might convince him to play more matches," stated SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron post-auction.
Inglis, however, mentioned that he learned about his new IPL contract only after the auction concluded.
"I won’t have full availability this year (IPL 2026) due to my wedding in early April. I didn’t anticipate being picked, so I was surprised to see my name go unsold initially," Inglis shared with ABC Sport after the second day of the ongoing third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.
Inglis had a notable performance in IPL 2025, scoring 278 runs in 11 matches with a strike rate of 163, including a standout 73 runs against Mumbai Indians and a crucial 38 runs in Qualifier 2, helping Punjab Kings reach the finals.