Australian bowling all-rounder Jess Jonassen has reportedly pulled out of the WPL auction due to an injury concern. During the pre-auction briefing, this information was conveyed to franchises by the organisers on Wednesday.
According to a report from ESPN Cricinfo, Jonassen is understood to be recovering from a shoulder issue she has been managing for some time and will not be available for selection.
The 33-year-old Australian cricketer was among the 13 players released by DC ahead of the auction. She was bought at her base price of Rs 50 lakh by Delhi Capitals at the 2023 auction. Since then, she has played 24 matches for the side, scoring 295 runs and taking 33 wickets.
The veteran left-arm spinner played an important role in the DC squad that reached the WPL final in each of the last three seasons. A five-time T20 World Cup winner, Jonassen has played over 200 international matches for Australia across formats. With a total of five Player of the Match awards, she has the second-most awards after Harmanpreet (seven).
Her unavailability is a major blow for the franchises, as several teams would have been keen to acquire her services, especially after Sophie Molineux also opted out of the tournament. The development could also increase the demand for — and price of — other left-arm spinners during the auction, such as England’s Sophie Ecclestone and South Africa’s Chloe Tryon.
The organisers have also informed franchises that batter Pratika Rawal, wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia and seamer VJ Joshitha are all injured, though their names remain part of the auction pool. If any of these players are selected, the franchises will not be allowed a replacement.
A total of 277 players, including 194 Indians and 83 overseas players, will go under the hammer in what will be the first mega-auction in the history of the league on Thursday.
For More Sports Related News: Follow RevSportz