Australian all-rounder Jess Jonassen pulls out of WPL auction

New Delhi [India], November 27 (ANI): Australian all-rounder Jess Jonassen has withdrawn from the Women's Premier League (WPL) auction due to an injury, which she's been managing for some time, as per ESPNcricinfo.

Jonassen's exit was disclosed to franchises by the WPL at the pre-auction briefing on Wednesday. The WPL mega auction will take place on Thursday in the national capital with a total of 277 players going under the hammer, including 194 Indian players and 83 overseas players.

The WPL has informed franchises that batter Pratika Rawal, wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, and seamer VJ Joshitha are injured and won't be able to participate, despite being part of the auction pool. If any franchise selects them, they won't be allowed to replace them, and they'll have to make do with their existing squad.

The WPL has also told franchises that India fast bowler Pooja Vastrakar is not fully fit but will be part of the auction. Kashvee Gautam, meanwhile, has been declared.

Jonassen has made a big impact in the WPL, winning five Player-of-the-Match awards. Only Harmanpreet Kaur has won more Player-of-the-Match awards (7) in the WPL.

The marquee players will open the day, featuring top names like the 2025 Women's World Cup 'Player of the Tournament' Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh from India, and New Zealand stars Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr. England's star spinner Sophie Ecclestone, Aussie legends Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning, the latter being the three-time runners-up with Delhi Capitals (DC) and 2025 Women's World Cup leading run-getter Laura Wolvaardt.

The youngest players in the auction are aged 16, Deeya Yadav and Bharati Singh, while former South African pacer Shabnim Ismail is the oldest at 37. Each franchise will be allowed to build a squad of upto 18 players. A total of 73 slots have to be filled, including 23 overseas slots, across five franchises. (ANI)

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