Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis has made his intentions clear that he is prioritizing national duty over fame and finances ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 auction. Josh Inglis is unlikely to attract much attention after revealing his plans for next season.
The 30-year-old player was released by Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the IPL 2026 auction and has now made himself available for limited matches next season citing personal reasons. However, the Australian star is reportedly planning to get married next year.
Josh Inglis will play only four matches in IPL 2026!
However, the Australian wicketkeeper has listed himself for the IPL 2026 auction at a base price of Rs 2 crore. Ahead of the auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16, Inglis has informed the BCCI and the franchises that he cannot participate in more than 25% of the tournament.
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As per Cricbuzz report, Josh Inglis will be available for only four matches in IPL 2026. Of the 1,355 players registered for the auction, Inglis is among five players who have informed the BCCI about their limited participation in the next edition of the tournament.
The report reads, “Inglis has informed the BCCI that he will participate only 25 percent in IPL 2026. In fact, he has told the franchises through the board that he cannot participate in more than four matches.”
Punjab Kings and Ricky Ponting knew about Josh Inglis’s IPL 2026 plans
Inglis was among the standout performers for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2025. He played 11 matches under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, scoring 278 runs and played a key role in PBKS’s second appearance in the IPL final. However, PBKS lost the trophy to RCB earlier this year.
However, Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting had already revealed that Inglis’s limited availability has made it impossible for the team to retain him.
Announcing the retention last month, the PBKS head coach shared that Inglis had already missed a few matches during the last season due to various reasons and had informed the management that he would not be available for most of the matches of the upcoming tournament.
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Limited availability of players from Australia and New Zealand has shaken up the auction strategy of IPL teams
Apart from Inglis, Australia’s Ashton Agar has also informed the BCCI that he will be available for 65% of the season, while teammate William Sutherland will play 80% next season. New Zealand’s Adam Milne is expected to play in most of the 95% matches of the tournament, and South Africa’s Riley Rossouw will feature in only 20% of the matches in IPL 2026.
Agar has set a base price of ₹2 crore, but he has played IPL before, while Sutherland, another newcomer, has a base price of ₹1 crore. Adam Milne has IPL experience but has not played in the last three seasons and is entering the auction for ₹2 crore.
Notably, in the IPL 2026 auction, 10 teams will fill 77 open spots with a total budget of ₹237.55 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the largest budget at ₹64.30 crore, while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have the second largest budget at ₹43.4 crore.