He was the most expensive buy for LSG at the IPL 2026 auction
Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis provided a huge update on his availability for the IPL 2026 season, dismissing the speculation about his full-season participation. Notably, before the IPL 2026 auction, it was understood Inglis would be available for only four matches due to personal reasons.
Even Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting had clarified that Josh Inglis’ limited availability for the IPL 2026 was the primary reason behind his release from the squad, especially after an impactful last season.
Speaking on ABC Sports, Inglis, who was bought by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 8.6 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, acknowledged that he was not expecting to be picked due to his limited availability. He further revealed that he is getting married in early April next year.
“I sort of watched a lot of it (the IPL 2026 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 expect to go, to be honest. So I sort of see my name go by unsold. The first one, I was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to bed. I need to switch on for tomorrow.’ And then I woke up to the news… Yeah, I didn’t know until I’d seen a few messages this morning,” Inglis said.
His comments followed speculations spread on social media that LSG owner Shashwat, son of LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, had mentioned that Inglis had confirmed his full-season availability to their head coach Justin Langer, a former Australian opener. However, Inglis clarified that wedding commitments would limit his participation in the early phase of the IPL.
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The 30-year-old went unsold in the first round of the IPL 2026 auction. However, when LSG could not secure a hard-hitting all-rounder like Liam Livingstone in the accelerated round, they went for Inglis aggressively despite his limited availability. The other franchise that showed significant interest was SRH, which continued to bid until it reached INR 8.6 crores.
The 29-year-old’s signing improved LSG’s batting lineup but raised questions about their IPL 2026 auction strategy. The LSG squad had a noticeable gap left by the proven match finisher after David Miller’s departure. They went all in for Livingstone in the final round, but SRH ultimately outbid them, signing the Englishman for INR 13 crores.
Although they still had the option to pursue Jason Holder, LSG opted for another keeper-batter instead of a middle-order power-hitting all-rounder, which raised some eyebrows. They already had three wicket-keepers in the squad – captain Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, and Matthew Breetzke – and the addition of another keeper-batter left fans baffled.
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