Josh Inglis has yet to feature in IPL 2026.
Josh Inglis has been unavailable for the initial phase of IPL 2026 due to his wedding on April 18. LSG bought him for a whopping INR 8.60 crore at the auction, despite knowing about his availability status beforehand.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Inglis is set to join the franchise ahead of the fixture against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on May 4. For now, the Australian wicketkeeper-batter will stay away from action after marriage and spend more time with his family before travelling to India for the final few league games.
That means Josh Inglis will likely be available for as many as six matches and the playoffs, should LSG qualify in IPL 2026. His status was clear from the deadline day, when Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting provided an update on his availability.
PBKS decided to release him due to his limited presence, but Josh Inglis was still sold for a big sum after an intense bidding battle between LSG and SRH at the IPL 2026 auction. His latest availability news must have come as a massive relief for the Lucknow-based franchise, which currently languishes ninth on the points table with just two wins in six matches.
A terrific player of pace and spin, Josh Inglis is precisely what LSG need in their middle order at the moment. They have tried different combinations and shuffled positions throughout the initial phase of IPL 2026, but results haven’t come their way.
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Meanwhile, Nicholas Pooran has also lost his form at the worst possible time, partially due to inappropriate entry points in the middle overs, which have further depleted their batting strength. Once Inglis plays, he can be flexible with his batting position and will bring a superior pace game when the field is spread.
Last season, he scored 278 runs at an average of 30.88 and a strike rate of 162.57 for Punjab Kings across No.3, 4, and 6 batting positions. Currently, LSG have mostly played with three overseas players – Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran – while George Linde, who came as a replacement for Wanindu Hasaranga, also featured in a couple of games.
Hence, whenever available, Josh Inglis will take a spot in the XI and bat in the middle order to lift an otherwise fragile batting unit. He will enjoy batting on the kind of decks IPL has to offer, and LSG would hope he revives their campaign before it’s too late for a comeback.
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