It is fair to say the 28-year-old’s road to the top has taken a few detours.
Her brother Hugo Inglis played 266 games from the Black Sticks during a lengthy career and it looked like Dunedin-raised Polly might follow in her older brother’s footsteps.
Hockey was her first love. She moved to Auckland to chase a spot in the national under-21 side.
But when the opportunities melted away, she turned back to cricket.
She had made the Otago Sparks while she was still at St Hilda’s Collegiate but almost gave the game away as well.
She headed over to the United Kingdom in 2019 to play for Nottinghamshire.
After a three-month stint in County Cricket, she decided to stay in Europe to travel and landed a dream job working in Soho for a sports agency.
She had caught the travel bug but, well, Covid spread its evil tentacles around the world and scuppered her plans.
"I was living the high life in London and getting to travel, so, yeah, it is hard to say if Covid hadn’t happened if I would have ended up here," she said.
"I’m just thankful to be doing what I love now."
When she did return to New Zealand and the Sparks, things had changed.
Craig Cumming had taken over as coach and a lot more resources were being put into the women’s game.
Inglis flourished. And when long-serving Otago and White Ferns keeper Katey Martin retired, Inglis was able to get more game time behind the stumps and to push for a spot in the White Ferns.
That opportunity came this season and she has grabbed her chance with both gloves.
Inglis has pouched five catches in three ODIs against Sri Lanka and has a stumping under her belt in the two T20s the sides have played.
She also made a nice cameo with the bat in the second ODI.
And Martin, well, the cricket commentator is still giving Inglis pointers from the sideline.
"She is still giving me tips and whatnot. And she did let me keep a fair bit while she was there.
"She was always full of energy and knowledge. That was awesome to tap into.
"And she was not the No 1 keeper [for the White Ferns] for a long time, but was able to push her way into that position, so I’m on a similar trajectory, hopefully.
"That’s the plan anyway."
The White Ferns host Sri Lanka in the deciding T20 in Dunedin today at the University Oval.
The match is sharing the billing with the Black Caps T20 against Pakistan. The doubleheader has been sold out but the forecast contains some troubling late-morning rain when the White Ferns game is scheduled.
"I’ve been so excited to play at home. Hopefully, that can happen. I think Suzie [Bates] has only played here like twice in who knows how many attempts."
T20 international
Dunedin, 10.15am today
New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Emma McLeod, Brooke Haliday, Izzy Sharp, Maddy Green, Jess Kerr, Polly Inglis, Flora Devonshire, Eden Carson, Bree Illing, Fran Jonas, Rosemary Mair.
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Manudi Nanayakkara, Nilakshika Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani, Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Achini Kulasuriya, Rashmika Sewwandi, Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Chethana Vimukthi, Imesha Dulani, Kaushini Nuthyangana.
