Australia’s Josh Inglis has told Lucknow Super Giants he will be missing for a fair chunk of next year’s IPL because he is getting married in early April. With the tournament pencilled in from 26 March to 31 May, the keeper-batter’s honeymoon is likely to wipe out at least three weeks – perhaps more if family duties stretch.
“I don’t have full availability this year. I’m getting married in early April,” Inglis explained on ABC Sport. “So, I didn’t really expect to go, to be honest.” He admitted he switched off the mini-auction after his name first went unsold, only to wake up to a phone full of congratulatory messages once Lucknow, having out-bid Sunrisers Hyderabad, landed him for INR 8.6 crore (about £800,000).
The Super Giants move reunites Inglis with head coach Justin Langer, the pair knowing each other well from Perth Scorchers days in the Big Bash. Sources at Lucknow have indicated they are comfortable juggling his availability; a short-term overseas replacement is the most likely workaround.
Punjab Kings, Inglis’ franchise this year, were less philosophical. Co-owner Ness Wadia told The Hindu the player informed them of his limited availability “45 minutes before the deadline,” scuppering plans to retain him.
“We didn’t really let go of Josh. I mean, Josh unfortunately, sadly, only told us at the last minute, which was not very fair given that he had been with us for a while,” Wadia said. “You can’t call someone 45 minutes before and say, ‘Hey, I’m not coming,’ especially when he knew that we were retaining him.”
Wadia went on: “But I wish him all the best. He is a good player and I am sure he will do well for Australia… the manner in which he behaved was not very professional.”
From Inglis’ side the timetable did seem clear enough: wedding booked, Test cricket looming, and no guarantee he would even fetch a bid. Yet once the hammer fell, the 30-year-old’s T20 numbers – nearly 3,900 runs at a strike-rate just shy of 150 – probably made the risk worthwhile for Lucknow. His lone IPL campaign so far saw 278 runs in 11 knocks for Punjab, the highlight a brisk 73 off 42 against Mumbai Indians in Jaipur, Jasprit Bumrah and all.
Crucially for Lucknow, they have depth behind the stumps: KL Rahul is expected to keep if fit, while Quinton de Kock has been used as a pure batter before and could be again. Inglis would, therefore, slot in as a middle-order accelerator once the wedding cake is cut.
From a wider perspective the episode shows again how the IPL’s ever-shifting calendar bumps into real-life events. Players want to honour personal commitments; franchises, paying top-drawer fees, understandably crave certainty. Striking that balance, particularly for those on the fringes of national selection who must also weigh county, BBL or PSL gigs, is becoming its own skill.
Inglis insists the fuss will not spill into the Ashes preparation that follows. “I need to switch on for tomorrow,” he said in the same ABC Sport interview, sounding more relieved than anything at getting a deal at all.
Whether three, six or ten games, Lucknow will hope the time they do get is enough; a couple of destructive cameos can still swing a season. And if all else fails, at least the groom should arrive back suitably refreshed.
