Josh Inglis Confirms Limited IPL 2026 Availability Due to Wedding Plans

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has confirmed that he will not be available for the entirety of the IPL 2026 season after revealing plans to get married in early April. Inglis was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 8.6 crore at the recent IPL mini-auction, despite his partial availability.

The IPL 2026 season is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 31, meaning Inglis is likely to miss a significant portion of the tournament. Speaking to ABC Sport, Inglis admitted that his limited availability pushed him down the pecking order at the auction and that he did not initially expect to be sold.

“I don’t have full availability this year. I’m getting married in early April, so I didn’t really expect to go,” Inglis said. “I saw my name go by unsold the first time and thought, ‘Alright, stuff this, I’m going to bed.’ Then I woke up to a few messages and realised what had happened.”

Despite going unsold initially, Inglis triggered a bidding war later in the auction, with LSG eventually outbidding Sunrisers Hyderabad. The move reunites Inglis with LSG head coach Justin Langer, with whom he previously worked at Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. His former IPL coach at Punjab Kings (PBKS), Ricky Ponting, had earlier hinted that Inglis’ partial availability could affect franchise decisions.

PBKS co-owner Ness Wadia expressed disappointment with the timing of Inglis’ communication, claiming the franchise had planned to retain him for IPL 2026. According to Wadia, Inglis informed the team of his limited availability just 45 minutes before the retention deadline.

“We didn’t really let go of Josh,” Wadia told The Hindu. “He told us at the last minute, which was not very fair. He said he would only be available for a couple of weeks. We felt that wasn’t very professional, especially when we were planning to retain him.”

Wadia, however, wished Inglis well, adding that he hoped the batter would continue to perform strongly for Australia.

In his debut IPL season with PBKS, Inglis made an immediate impact as a middle-order disruptor, scoring 278 runs in 11 innings at an average of 30.88 and a strike rate of 162.57. His standout performance included a match-winning 73 off 42 balls against a Jasprit Bumrah-led Mumbai Indians attack. Overall, Inglis has amassed 3,853 runs in 152 T20 innings at an average of 29.86 and a strike rate just under 150.

While his role for LSG in IPL 2026 remains uncertain due to his limited availability, Inglis’ explosive batting ensures he remains a valuable asset whenever he does take the field.