The recent IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi witnessed a big surprise when Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) decided to spend a huge sum of Rs 8.6 crore on Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis, even though he had already made it clear that he would be partially available for the next season.
Like their former IPL franchise Punjab Kings (PBSK), Lucknow Super Giants already knew that Inglis would be available for only four matches in IPL 2026. Nevertheless, the franchise spent ₹8.6 crore on Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis in the auction earlier this week.
AB de Villiers surprised, LSG spent ₹8.6 crore on Josh Inglis despite availability of 4 matches
Actually, Josh Inglis is getting married in April 2026 and after that will spend some time in rest and recovery, so he will miss most of the next IPL season. Given this, PBKS had released the Australian star before the auction, but LSG surprised everyone with their move.
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Recently, legendary South African batsman AB de Villiers questioned the decision of Lucknow Supergiants and wondered why they invested such a huge amount in a player with such limited availability in the upcoming IPL 2026. He felt the price paid was too high, especially when the team knew in advance that Josh Inglis would only play a few games.
What is shocking is that players like Jonny Bairstow and Devon Conway remained unsold in the IPL 2026 auction despite being completely available for the entire season. And the former South Africa captain felt he could have provided more value and consistency to LSG in a longer tournament.
The strangest signing I have ever seen in my life: AB de Villiers makes fun of LSG
AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel, “Josh Inglis, this is the strangest signing I have ever seen in my life. He will only be available for four matches. LSG signed him for Rs 8.6 crore. I don’t know; is he really worth that much? Then you look at the guys who weren’t sold, like Jonny Bairstow and Devon Conway; they will all be available for the whole season and would probably be better signings for LSG.”
Interestingly, Josh Inglis was not selected in the first round of the auction. But in the second round, Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad were involved in an intense bidding war, leading Sanjiv Goenka’s team to sharply increase his price before eventually buying the Australian star.
He follows Inglis due to his strong performances last season for the Punjab Kings. He scored 278 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 162.57. His aggressive batting played a key role in Punjab Kings reaching the final, where they lost the trophy to RCB.
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AB de Villiers impressed by CSK going all young in IPL 2026 auction
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) surprised many by spending big on uncapped players after failing to reach the playoffs for the first time in consecutive seasons. Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Prashant Veer and Rajasthan wicketkeeper Karthik Sharma were their biggest buys, with the franchise paying ₹14.2 crore each in the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi.
Apart from the capped stars, CSK also brought in young Indian stars like Rahul Chahar, Sarfaraz Khan and uncapped all-rounder Aman Khan. Last year, the franchise brought in youngsters Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel and Dewald Brewis, showing that they are preparing for the next generation. And the veteran Proteas batsman lauded his decision.
De Villiers signed off by saying, “CSK grew up young. They are rebuilding. Karthik Sharma comes as a good signing whenever MS decides to move on. Obviously, now we have Samson. But Karthik is a good buy. Remember last year in the middle of the season they grabbed guys like Urvil, Brewis and Mhatre, who were already thinking about the future.”

