The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction has been marred by controversy surrounding Australian wicket-keeper batter Josh Inglis, following his INR 8.6 crore move to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Punjab Kings (PBKS), Inglis' former team, released him based on information that he would only be available for a limited number of games due to his wedding on April 18 and subsequent honeymoon. However, the intense bidding war between LSG and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for Inglis, despite a BCCI communication stating his limited availability, has raised suspicions that some franchises might have had more information than others.

PBKS co-owner Ness Wadia has publicly criticized Inglis, labeling his behavior as "unprofessional" for informing the team about his limited availability just before the deadline to submit the list of retained and released players. According to sources, Inglis communicated to PBKS that his wedding and honeymoon would restrict his participation to only 10-14 days in late May. Acting on this information, PBKS released him.

The situation took a surprising turn when LSG secured Inglis for a hefty sum, leading to speculation that he might be available for a longer period than initially indicated. Some reports suggest that Inglis is now considering postponing his honeymoon to join the LSG camp sooner, or even play at the start of the season before briefly leaving for his wedding.

This potential change in plans has left PBKS feeling "blindsided" and considering approaching the BCCI for clarification. The franchise believes that other teams might have anticipated a change in Inglis's plans, leading to the aggressive bidding. An SRH representative acknowledged that Inglis' personal schedule was "always subject to change" and that their team was hoping to convince him to play a few extra games.

Adding fuel to the fire, it's been pointed out that LSG has Justin Langer as head coach and Tom Moody as head coach, while SRH's head coach Daniel Vettori is the national team's assistant coach, while they are led by Pat Cummins, who is also the captain of the Australian team. This has led to speculation that these franchises might have had inside information regarding Inglis's availability.

While Inglis's performance in the IPL 2025 was decent, his contributions at crucial moments were significant in PBKS's journey to the final. His availability, or lack thereof, has now become an unexpected point of contention, raising questions about fair play and information access among the franchises. The BCCI may need to intervene to address these concerns and ensure transparency in future auctions.