South Africa great AB de Villiers criticised the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) over their ₹8.6 crore buy at the IPL 2026 auction. The franchise secured Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis for the hefty sum, despite knowing in advance that he would be available for only four matches during the season.
With Inglis set to get married in April, his availability for the remainder of IPL 2026 will be limited. De Villiers termed the move a baffling decision, questioning whether the price was justified given the circumstances. He also pointed out that several players who went unsold might have been more suitable options for LSG.
“Josh Inglis, this is the craziest signing I have ever seen in my life. He is only going to be available for four matches. LSG sign him for 8.6 crores. I don’t know, is he really worth that much? Then you look at guys who were unsold like Jonny Bairstow, Devon Conway, all of them would be available for the entire season and possibly a better signing for LSG,” he said on his YouTube channel.
Inglis was a key player for PBKS last season but was released due to availability issues. He went unsold initially, before LSG and SRH battled to sign him.
AB De Villiers Feels CSK Are Reshaping Their Team
AB de Villiers also commented on Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) signings at the IPL 2026 auction. The five-time champions showed a change in approach, focusing on investing in uncapped Indian talent. They secured Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Prashant Veer and Rajasthan wicketkeeper Kartik Sharma for a hefty ₹14.2 crore each.
In addition, CSK brought in other promising Indian players, including Rahul Chahar, Sarfaraz Khan, and uncapped Aman Khan.
“CSK went big on youth. They are rebuilding. Kartik Sharma comes in as a good signing for whenever MS decides to move on. Obviously we have Samson there now. But Kartik is a good buy. Remember midway through the season last year they got hold of guys like Urvil, Brevis, and Mhatre, already thinking about the future,” AB de Villiers said.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
