World Cup Winner Pulls OUT From WPL Auction 2026, Team Announced Replacement

Australian bowling all-rounder Jess Jonassen has reportedly pulled out of the upcoming Women’s Premier League auction because of injury concerns. This is an early setback to teams hoping to secure an experienced overseas player for the league’s first mega auction.

As per media reports, franchises were informed of Jonassen’s decision during the WPL’s pre-auction meeting on Wednesday. The 33-year-old all-rounder is said to be recovering from a shoulder problem and will not be available for this year’s selection.

Jess Jonassen Out of WPL Auction

The Aussie stalwart, Jess Jonassen, is currently managing a long-standing shoulder issue that she has been dealing with for quite a while. She has been one of the WPL’s most influential performers, collecting five Player-of-the-Match awards, second only to Harmanpreet Kaur, who leads the tally with seven.

Jonassen's withdrawal comes despite an exceptional run of form. Jonassen ended the 2025 WPL as the third-highest wicket-taker, which was her second straight season finishing inside the top five. Overall, she is regarded as one of the best women cricketers in the world.

Franchises were also informed that batter Pratika Rawal, wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, and seamer VJ Joshitha are currently injured, even though their names remain in the auction pool.

Despite being listed, they cannot be counted in the 15-player squad, and teams selecting any of them will not be granted replacement options. The league further clarified that India pacer Pooja Vastrakar is still not at full fitness but will still take part in the auction, while Kashvee Gautam has been cleared fully fit.

More to follow…