New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS) Hours ahead of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) mega auction, Australia’s left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Jess Jonassen has been ruled out from the player pool owing to an injury.

Sources familiar with the matter told IANS on Thursday that Jess’s unavailability was formally communicated to all five franchises during the mandatory pre-auction briefing on Wednesday.

Jess had been a part of Delhi Capitals (DC) in the first three WPL seasons, where they finished as runners-up on all occasions.

Though Jess is turning out for Brisbane Heat in the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), it is understood that a shoulder issue she has been managing for an extended period is the reason behind her unavailability for the WPL auction and subsequent season.

“A few teams were keen on getting her in the auction due to Sophie Molineux not registering, but now that strategy has been changed and back up plans being discussed due to her unavailability being told a day prior.

“It won’t come as a surprise if the other left-arm spinners, especially in the Indian players pool, will have more takers for them or their eventual price sees an increase in the mega auction,” said sources.

Other prominent left-arm spin bowling options who are also handy all-rounders are England’s Sophie Ecclestone, South Africa’s Chloe Tryon, as well as India’s N Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Tanuja Kanwer, and are followed by youngsters like Parunika Sisodia, Bharti Rawal, Vaishavi Sharma, Ayushee Shukla, Mannat Kashyap Shuchi Upadhayay and Triveni Vasistha.

It is also understood that in the pre-auction briefing, all five franchises were told that India opener Pratika Rawal, wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia and uncapped seamer VJ Joshitha are nursing injuries, though their names remain in the auction pool.

Pratika is recovering from an ankle injury sustained in the World Cup league game against Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai, while Yastika had to undergo an ACL surgery after being ruled out of the World Cup due to injuring her left knee in the pre-tournament camp in Visakhapatnam.

It is also understood that the injured trio cannot be counted towards the mandatory 15-member squad (though 18 is the maximum squad strength for the competition), and if they are picked, teams cannot get a replacement for them.

IANS also understands that India’s seam-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar is not fully fit yet after undergoing shoulder surgery, but her name will still feature in the auction. Pooja had been a part of Mumbai Indians in the first two WPL seasons, including the 2023 title winning campaign, before the injury ruled her out of the 2025 season.

The 2026 WPL mega auction will begin with the marquee set featuring eight players – Sophie, India duo of Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh Thakur, followed by Australian pair of Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning, South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and New Zealand duo of Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr.

–IANS

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