Jess Jonassen Withdraws From WPL 2026: Impact on Teams, Replacements, and Auction Dynamics

In a dramatic last-minute twist ahead of Thursday’s Women’s Premier League 2026 mega auction, Australia’s premier left-arm spinning all-rounder Jess Jonassen has withdrawn from the player registration due to a longstanding shoulder injury, dealing a blow to several franchises that had earmarked her as a top target. The news was officially conveyed to all five teams during Wednesday’s mandatory pre-auction briefing, sources told IANS.

Jonassen, 33, had been a cornerstone for Delhi Capitals across the first three WPL seasons, taking 34 wickets at an economy of 7.14 and contributing handy lower-order runs as DC finished runners-up each time. Her sudden exit—confirmed while she continues to play for Brisbane Heat in the ongoing WBBL—has forced immediate strategy rewrites. “A few teams were banking on her after Sophie Molineux also skipped registration, but now backup plans are being frantically discussed,” a franchise official said.

With two of the world’s best left-arm orthodox options now unavailable, the auction spotlight has shifted to the remaining pool. England’s Sophie Ecclestone (marquee set, base price ₹50 lakh) is expected to spark a bidding war, while South Africa’s Chloe Tryon and India’s Radha Yadav, Tanuja Kanwer, N Sree Charani, and a clutch of uncapped teenagers—Parunika Sisodia, Mannat Kashyap, Vaishnavi Sharma, Ayushee Shukla, and others—are likely to see inflated prices as teams scramble for quality slow left-arm options.

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Three Indian players remain on the auction list despite injuries: opener Pratika Rawal (ankle), wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia (post-ACL surgery), and uncapped pacer VJ Joshitha. Franchises have been cautioned that if any of them are bought, the players cannot be counted toward the mandatory minimum 15-member squad, and no replacements will be permitted. Seam-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, still recovering from shoulder surgery that ruled her out of the entire 2025 season, is also listed but not fully fit.

The auction kicks off at 2:30 pm IST with the marquee set of eight: Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Laura Wolvaardt, Sophie Devine, and Amelia Kerr. With 181 players (123 Indian, 58 overseas) in the final list and only 65 slots (19 overseas) available across the five teams, the withdrawal of Jonassen has made an already intense bidding war even more unpredictable.

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