The WPL 2026 season is set to begin on January 9.
With just less than two weeks to go for the TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC) have suffered a huge setback, as star Australian all-rounders Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland have withdrawn from the tournament due to personal reasons.
Ellyse Perry will miss the WPL 2026 season, and the franchise has named Sayali Satghare as her replacement. Sayali, signed at her reserve price of INR 30 lakh, will join the squad ahead of the tournament, which begins on January 9.
Annabel Sutherland, who was part of DC squad, has also pulled out of WPL 2026. Tara Norris, the left-arm medium pacer of Delhi Capitals, will miss the tournament as she has been selected for the USA national team for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Nepal, scheduled from January 18 to February 1.
Alana King, the Australian leg-spinner who played for UP Warriorz in the previous season, has been named as Sutherland’s replacement. Meanwhile, Charli Knott, the uncapped Australian all-rounder, will join Delhi Capitals in place of Tara Norris, signed at her reserve price of INR 10 lakh.
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Before the WPL 2026 auction, RCB retained four players, with Ellyse Perry being the only overseas player retained at INR 2 crore. In the WPL, she has scored 972 runs in 20 innings at an average of 64.80 and a strike rate of 132.96, including eight half-centuries. She has also taken 14 wickets and ranks second in most runs in WPL history. Her absence this season is a major setback for RCB, as the team will need someone to step up and fill the gap.
Similarly, Annabel Sutherland was retained by Delhi Capitals for INR 2.2 crore. DC retained five players, with Sutherland and Marizanne Kapp being the two overseas players. In the recently concluded Women’s World Cup 2025, Sutherland took 17 wickets, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker, and also scored 117 runs in six innings at an average of 29.25. In the previous WPL season, she took nine wickets and scored 174 runs. Her absence will be a big miss for DC. Although they have signed Alana King, who could perform well, Sutherland’s presence would have strengthened both the batting and bowling departments.
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