Jess Jonassen withdraws name from WPL Auctions as she is recovering from a shoulder complaint she has been managing.
Jess Jonassen pulls out of WPL auction.
According to reports, Australian bowling all-rounder Jess Jonassen withdrew from the WPL auction because of an injury. The WPL informed franchises of Jonassen’s departure during Wednesday’s pre-auction briefing.
Although their names are included in the auction pool, the WPL has also informed franchises that seamer VJ Joshitha, wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, and batter Pratika Rawal are all injured. However, the required 15-person squad cannot include these three players. If a team selects these players, they won’t be able to replace them.
Bhatia’s base price was INR 30 lakh, whereas Rawal’s was INR 50 lakh. Joshitha would accept offers starting at INR 10 lakh in the meantime.
Additionally, the WPL has informed franchises that Pooja Vastrakar, an Indian fast bowler, will be included in the auction despite not being fully fit. Meanwhile, Kashvee Gautam has been deemed fit. Gautam’s basic pricing is INR 30 lakh, while Vastrakar’s is INR 50 lakh.
With five Player-of-the-Match titles, Jonassen, 33, has had a significant impact on the WPL. In the WPL, only Harmanpreet Kaur has earned seven Player-of-the-Match titles. It is known that Jonassen is recuperating from a shoulder issue that she has been dealing with for a while.
The headlining set that will start the bidding at the WPL 2026 auction includes Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Amelia Kerr, and Laura Wolvaardt. Allrounder Deepti Sharma and fast bowler Renuka Singh are the two Indian players in the marquee set.