Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia has publicly criticised Australia wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, calling his conduct “unprofessional” over how and when the franchise was informed about his availability for IPL 2026. Wadia said PBKS had every intention of retaining Inglis but were left blindsided when the player communicated his limited availability just minutes before the retention deadline. According to Wadia, the problem was never Inglis’ wedding in early April, but the timing of the disclosure.
Speaking to Sportstar, Wadia said, “We didn’t really let go of Josh. Josh unfortunately only told us at the last minute, which was not very fair, given that he had been with us for a while. Everyone knew when the retention was coming, and we were informed by him 45 minutes before the deadline that he was getting married and needed time to relax and recuperate. He said he was going to be available only for a couple of weeks.” Wadia made it clear that the franchise felt short-changed after planning their retention strategy around Inglis. “We told him he should have informed us earlier. I don’t think it was very professional of him. If you know there is a deadline, you cannot call someone 45 minutes before and say you are not coming, especially when you know you are being retained,” he said. Despite the criticism, Wadia struck a conciliatory note at the end, wishing the player well. “I wish him all the best. He is a good player and I am sure he will do well for Australia. Whether he plays in the IPL or not, I wish him well as a fellow human being. But the manner in which he behaved was not very professional,” he added. Inglis’ limited availability had already become a talking point ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Although he initially went unsold, he later sparked a bidding war and was eventually signed by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 8.6 crore. LSG are understood to have invested in him with an eye on future seasons rather than expecting a major contribution in his short stint this year. From Inglis’ side, the situation has been addressed plainly. The batter has acknowledged that he will not be available for the full IPL 2026 season due to his wedding in early April, with the tournament scheduled to run from March 26 to May 31.
