Alana King has been added as her replacement.
Delhi Capitals, the three times runners-up in the competition, will be without their star all-rounder Annabel Sutherland for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026.
This is a big setback for the team, as she was expected to play an important role and was retained by the franchise before the auction.
Annabel Sutherland has pulled out of the tournament due to personal reasons. She was retained by the franchise for INR 2.2 crore. The all-rounder had been with the team for the last two seasons after playing the first edition for Gujarat Giants. In WPL 2025, she took nine wickets in nine matches and also scored 95 runs.
Delhi Capitals have named Alana King as her replacement. The Australian leg spinner has played 27 T20Is and taken 27 wickets. She joined the team at a reserve price of INR 60 lakh.
It will be very difficult for Delhi Capitals to replace a player like Annabel Sutherland, as she used to contribute in both departments. She batted at No.5 in the middle order and regulary bowled her full four overs quota, which gave the team great balance. With her absence, the team combination will need some changes.
Alana King has been added as her replacement and is likely to come straight into the playing XI. However, since King is mainly a bowler, Delhi Capitals will have to play an extra seamer and an extra batter to cover what Sutherland provided as an all-rounder.
The top-order still looks strong, with Shafali Verma expected to open alongside Laura Wolvaardt. Captain Jemimah Rodrigues is likely to bat at No.3 and is in good form. Marizanne Kapp will again play a key role with the bat in the middle order and with the new ball, and with Sutherland not available, she will need to take on more responsibility. Chinelle Henry will be another all-rounder in the team.
Niki Prasad will play as a batter, and Taniya Bhatia will be the wicketkeeper. The bowling attack could include Sneh Rana and Shree Charani, along with either Alana King or Lucy Hamilton, and Nandani Sharma as the pace option. Overall, Sutherland’s absence affects the team balance, and Delhi Capitals will need to change their combination to remain competitive.
Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Deeya Yadav, Laura Wolvaardt, Shafali Verma, Chinelle Henry, Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Lizelle Lee, Mamatha Madiwala, Taniya Bhatia, Alana King, Lucy Hamilton, and Nandani Sharma.
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In 2025, Annabel Sutherland took 11 wickets in six T20Is. Overall in T20s, she picked up 47 wickets in 36 matches and also scored 533 runs with the bat. She finished fourth on the list of most wickets in WT20s in 2025.
In the Women’s World Cup 2025, which was played in the 50 over format, she took 17 wickets in seven matches and scored 117 runs in six innings at an average of 29.25. She had a very strong year in 2025, which is why she was retained by the franchise.
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