"Can't call someone 45 minutes before" - PBKS co-owner's shocking revelation on Aussie star after IPL 2026 auction

Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Ness Wadia made a shocking revelation about Australia star Josh Inglis after the IPL 2026 auction. The auction was held on Tuesday, December 16, in Abu Dhabi.

PBKS released Inglis ahead of the auction. They let him go as he would be available to play only four games in the IPL 2026. The wicketkeeper-batter had informed the franchise about his scheduled marriage in April and, therefore, would not be available for the entire season.

Ness Wadia revealed after the auction that Inglis informed them 45 minutes before the retention deadline. All ten franchises had put out their retention lists by November 15, 2025.

The PBKS co-owner expressed his disappointment and called it 'unprofessional' for Inglis to inform them at the very last minute.

"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 needed time to relax and recuperate. He said he was going to be available only for a couple of weeks [three games]. 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," he was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports. "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," he added.

Inglis played an important role in PBKS making the IPL 2025 final. He made 278 runs from 11 matches at an average of 30.88 and a strike rate of 162.57.

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Josh Inglis did not expect to be sold at IPL 2026 auction after being released by PBKS

After being released by PBKS, Josh Inglis registered for the IPL 2026 auction despite his availability issue. Surprisingly, he attracted an impressive ₹8.6 crore bid. He was acquired by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The move raised many eyebrows as everyone knew of his limited availability.

Inglis confirmed yet again that he would not be available for the entire season. He revealed that he was not expecting to be sold. He was initially unsold but later caused a bidding war between LSG and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

"Well, I sort of watched a lot of it [IPL auction] and I was pushed back in the pecking order. I don't have full availability this year. I'm getting married in early April. So, I didn't really expect to go, to be honest. So I sort of saw my name go by unsold... the first one I was like 'alright stuff this, I'm going to bed' and I need to switch on for tomorrow [Ashes] and then woke up to the news. I didn't know until I'd seen a few messages this morning," he told ABC Sport.

Inglis is playing in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 series at home against England. In the ongoing third Test, he made 32 runs in the first innings.

Edited by Rishab Vm