Jonassen Injury Blow Sends Franchises Scrambling

Australian bowling all-rounder Jess Jonassen has withdrawn from the WPL auction due to a shoulder injury. Organisers informed the franchises during a pre-auction briefing on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old is recovering from a shoulder issue and will not be available for selection. Jonassen, a veteran left-arm spinner, was among the 13 players released by Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the auction. She was originally purchased at her base price of Rs 50 lakh in the 2023 auction and has since played 24 matches for DC, scoring 295 runs and taking 33 wickets.

Jonassen played a key role in DC’s campaigns that reached the WPL final in each of the last three seasons. A five-time T20 World Cup winner, she has played over 200 international matches for Australia across formats. She has won five Player of the Match awards, second only to Harmanpreet Kaur, who has seven.

Franchise Impact:
Her absence is a major setback, especially after Sophie Molineux also opted out, potentially increasing demand and prices for other left-arm spinners, such as Sophie Ecclestone (ENG) and Chloe Tryon (SA).

Injured Players in Auction Pool:

• Batter: Pratika Rawal

• Wicketkeeper-batter: Yastika Bhatia

• Seamer: VJ Joshitha

These players remain in the auction, but franchises cannot replace them if selected.

Auction Overview:

This first-ever mega-auction will be a landmark in WPL history. Experts say Jonassen’s withdrawal could influence bidding strategies and player prices significantly.