Former India batter Ambati Rayudu has lauded Josh Inglis for his late-season contributions despite the Lucknow Super Giants’ torrid IPL 2026.
The Super Giants lost to the Punjab Kings in their final game of the season, but Inglis put up a brilliant showing once more, scoring a 44-ball 72. He was released by the Kings after a successful 2025 campaign, after he was late to confirm that he would miss a sizeable chunk of the 2026 season due to his wedding. The Super Giants picked him up for a whopping
INR 8.60 crore, and the 31-year-old repaid the faith, scoring 266 runs in five innings at a whopping strike rate of 186.01, slotting into the top of the order.
Rayudu praised Inglis for his versatility and maturity, being able to play all around the wicket against all types of bowling and being able to score runs with ease in the subcontinent.
"He's so versatile: He's good against slower deliveries, he's good against every length that has been on offer. I just think he's so suited to playing in these subcontinent conditions. He plays brilliantly against spin. He plays the lap shots well. He hits straight down the ground. He has every shot in the book. And also he has a very, very good head on his shoulders," Rayudu said, speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show.
The Australian wicketkeeper-batter scored three half-centuries in the five games he has played, including a blistering 33-ball 85 against the Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk. He is LSG’s third-highest run-scorer of the season, behind Mitchell Marsh (563) and Rishabh Pant (312). Rayudu praised his shot selection, his ability to play spin, and his ability to score all around the wicket, a trend not often seen among overseas opening batters.
"His shot selection is superb compared to a few of the other foreign batters we have seen. For example, Finn Allen. Finn Allen takes on the new ball, but he's very, very one-dimensional. But Josh Inglis is not one-dimensional. He plays all around the wicket and plays spin brilliantly," he added.
Inglis has been a bright spot for the Super Giants in an otherwise dismal season. With just eight points from four wins in 14 games, Rishabh Pant's men had a season to forget, capping their season off with a loss to the Kings.
Inglis propelled LSG to 196 for 6 in their 20 overs. They failed to defend the total, with skipper Shreyas Iyer scoring a superb century to lead the Kings home with seven wickets in hand, keeping them in the hunt for the playoffs.
