PBKS owner blasts Josh Inglis for 'unprofessional' last-minute IPL 2026 update: 'He should have informed earlier'

Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia criticized Josh Inglis for his late notice regarding IPL 2026 availability, labeling it unprofessional.

Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia has hit out at Josh Inglis, calling the Australia wicketkeeper-batter “unprofessional” over the timing of his communication on IPL 2026 availability.

Ness Wadia and Josh Inglis (PTI)

Wadia said PBKS were keen to keep Inglis, but the franchise was informed at the last minute before the deadline that the player would be available only for a short window because of his wedding in early April.

Wadia’s frustration and the release

In remarks that sharpened the spotlight on player-franchise communication. Wadia stressed that the issue wasn’t the wedding itself, but the late notice. While speaking to Sportstar, he said PBKS, “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. I think everyone knew when the retention was coming, and we were informed by him 45 minutes before the deadline that he was getting married and need to time to relax and recuperate. He said he was going to be available only for a couple of weeks.”

Wadia further added, "We told him he should have informed us earlier. I don't think it was very professional of him. I don't think it is very professional of anyone if they know there is a deadline. You can't call someone 45 minutes before and say, 'Hey, I'm not coming,' especially when he knew that we were retaining him."

“But I wish him all the best. He is a good player and I am sure he will do well for Australia. And let's see whether he plays in the IPL or not. I wish him all the best because he is a fellow human being. But, the manner in which he behaved was not very professional,” Wadia concluded.

Iniglis' limited availability had already been a talking point heading into the mini-auction, but he still got a handsome deal for the IPL 2026 season. After initially being unsold, he triggered a bidding battle and was eventually picked up by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 8.6 crore. LSG might have added him for his future availability rather than leaving a huge impact in his short stint in IPL 19.

From Josh Inglis’ side, he has acknowledged the situation plainly: he doesn’t have full availability this season because he’s getting married in early April, with IPL 2026 scheduled to run from March 26 to May 31.