Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Ness Wadia has publicly criticised Australia wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, accusing him of performing unprofessionally over how he communicated his availability for IPL 2026, an issue that escalated after Inglis secured a profitable deal on the public sale.
The sharp remarks adopted a dramatic sequence of occasions that left PBKS annoyed and questioning the transparency of the method, with the franchise now contemplating whether or not to boost the problem formally with the BCCI.
Punjab Kings needed to retain Josh Inglis after sturdy IPL 2025 season
Wadia revealed that Punjab Kings had been eager to retain Inglis after his spectacular performances through the IPL 2025 season. Nonetheless, the franchise’s plans had been thrown into disarray once they had been knowledgeable of his restricted availability simply 45 minutes earlier than the retention deadline.
In response to Wadia, Inglis informed PBKS he would miss a good portion of IPL 2026 on account of his wedding ceremony scheduled for early April, creating uncertainty round his participation. With little time to regulate their technique, Punjab felt compelled to launch him at a base worth of ₹2.6 crore, relatively than committing a retention slot to a participant unavailable for a lot of the season.
Public sale twist leaves PBKS feeling “cheated”
The state of affairs took a clumsy flip through the IPL 2026 public sale. Inglis initially went unsold in his first set, seemingly confirming Punjab’s considerations about availability. Nonetheless, his return within the accelerated spherical sparked a fierce bidding struggle, culminating in Lucknow Tremendous Giants (LSG) snapping him up for ₹8.6 crore.
For PBKS, the sight of a participant deemed “largely unavailable” fetching greater than 3 times his earlier contract was troublesome to swallow. Wadia described the episode as deeply disappointing, suggesting the franchise felt misled and unfairly deprived.
Wadia indicated that Punjab Kings are exploring the choice of approaching the BCCI, framing the problem as one in all poor communication relatively than public sale mechanics. The franchise believes clearer disclosure earlier within the retention window might have modified their decision-making.
Additionally READ: IPL 2026 Auction – Salary of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) players; check out how much Rishabh Pant and Josh Inglis earn
Josh Inglis: “I didn’t count on massive cash”
Inglis has sought to defuse the state of affairs, providing his model of occasions in an interview with ABC Sport. The Australian worldwide mentioned he by no means anticipated a big-money transfer, on condition that his wedding ceremony and nationwide commitments would prohibit him to solely a brief stint in IPL 2026.
He claimed he had mentally switched off from the public sale after going unsold initially, solely to get up to messages informing him of LSG’s successful bid. In response to Inglis, Lucknow’s curiosity was pushed extra by long-term planning than expectations of quick full-season impression.
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