Australia keeper-batter Josh Inglis is set to miss the opening games for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026 due to personal commitments. The 31-year-old, who played for Punjab Kings last season, was initially expected to be retained. However, he informed Punjab management at the last moment that he would be unavailable for a significant period during the tournament because of his marriage. As a result, Punjab released him.
Prior to the auction, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had confirmed Inglis would be available for only four matches in 2026. This limited availability was a key reason for Punjab letting him go. However, the cricketer fetched enough interest in the auction that saw Lucknow snapping him up for Rs 8.6 crore in the auction. Interestingly, soon after the deal, Inglis later made himself available for over half the season.
According to a recent ESPNcricinfo report, the cricketer is now expected to get married in early April, earlier than the previously reported April 18 date. Even if he takes a 10-day honeymoon, he could miss a maximum of five to six matches for LSG. Nevertheless, there has been no official confirmation from LSG regarding the development. He hasn't however joined the squad yet.
Update on injured Australia cricketers
On Tuesday, March 24, Royal Challengers Bengaluru director of cricket Mo Bobat confirmed that they are still waiting for Cricket Australia to confirm Josh Hazlewood’s availability in the upcoming IPL season. The ace pacer suffered a hamstring injury and a sore Achilles that ruled him out of the Ashes and the T20 World Cup. He is currently recovering from the injury, with no update about his return.
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins, in the meantime, is expected to miss the first few games for the franchise. He, however, will join the squad before the opening game against RCB. In his absence, Ishan Kishan will lead the side.
Lastly, Delhi Capitals are also awaiting a response from CA over Mitchell Starc. Director of Cricket Venu Gopal Rao mentioned that they haven’t been updated and it could be any day that Starc joins the team.
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