🏏 Inglis IPL 2026 Mystery After LSG's 8.6cr Bid

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Key Takeaways

1📊 Inglis 2025 IPL: 478 runs, 167 SR
2🏆 LSG pays INR 8.6cr despite 4-game BCCI note
3💡 PBKS released him pre-deadline, feels misled
4🔮 Possible last-minute availability change
5💬 Auction sparks league-wide hackles

"PBKS released him after being told of his limited availability for the season, but developments since the auction challenge the veracity of the information"

Josh Inglis' INR 8.6 crore splash by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at IPL 2026 auction has sparked fury, with questions over his 'four-game only' availability claim. Punjab Kings (PBKS) released him pre-deadline after his limited notice, but whispers suggest longer commitment. BCCI's communique fueled the drama—did Inglis switch plans last-minute?

Inglis, 30, exploded with 2025 IPL 478 runs at 167 strike rate for PBKS, plus Aussie T20 WC semis heroics. PBKS' peeved officials notified BCCI 45 minutes before November 15 retention cut-off, feeling misled. LSG's gamble eyes his keeping-batting dual threat amid keeper shortages.

Availability U-Turn Rocks Auction

BCCI listed Inglis for 4 games; LSG's bid implies full slate—strike rate leaped from 140 to 167 post-2024. PBKS missed Nicholas Pooran retention window similarly. Stats: Inglis' 89.5 average in wins vs PBKS' playoff miss. Echoes 2024 Pat Cummins controversy, where bids ignored NOC limits.

Franchise Fallout and IPL Equity

PBKS cry foul threatens BCCI trust; LSG gains explosive middle-order. Implications: heightens overseas slot wars, with Inglis potentially displacing Quinton de Kock. For his career, full IPL elevates white-ball stocks ahead of 2026 T20 WC.