Australian bowling allrounder Jess Jonassen has withdrawn from the upcoming WPL auction due to a shoulder injury she has been managing for a while. Her withdrawal was formally communicated to franchises during the pre-auction briefing held by the WPL on Wednesday. Jonassen, 33, has been a key performer in the league, having won five Player-of-the-Match awards—second only to Harmanpreet Kaur, who has seven.
The WPL also informed franchises of injury concerns regarding three other players—batter Pratika Rawal, wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, and seamer VJ Joshitha. Although their names remain in the auction pool, they are not eligible to be included in the mandatory 15-member squad. If any team chooses to bid for them, they cannot either play or be replaced. Rawal has set her base price at INR 50 lakh, Bhatia at INR 30 lakh, and Joshitha at INR 10 lakh.
Additionally, India fast bowler Pooja Vastrakar has been reported as not fully fit but will still participate in the auction. In contrast, allrounder Kashvee Gautam has been declared fit and available. Vastrakar has listed a base price of INR 50 lakh, while Gautam’s starts at INR 30 lakh.
High-profile names such as Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Amelia Kerr, and Laura Wolvaardt are part of the marquee set, which will be the first group to go under the hammer at the WPL 2026 auction. Indian stars Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh are the only two players from India included in this marquee category.
Jonassen’s absence is expected to impact bidding strategies significantly, as teams may now look for alternative experienced allrounders to fill the void.
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