Breaking Update: Here’s a clear explanation of the latest developments related to Breaking News:Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland withdraw from upcoming Women’s Premier League. Check full list of replacements– What Just Happened and why it matters right now.
Australian all-rounders Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland have withdrawn from the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) due to “personal reasons”, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Tuesday. The Indian cricket board also confirmed a list of replacements, as several players became unavailable for the fourth edition of the premier T20 competition, set to begin on January 9 with the season opener between defending champions Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Perry was previously retained by RCB ahead of the WPL 2026 auction, while Sutherland was also not released by Delhi Capitals. With Perry pulling out of the tournament, RCB named Sayali Satghare as her replacement, and she will join the Smriti Mandhana-led side at her reserve price of INR 30 lakh.
RCB will truly miss the presence of Perry as the Australian all-rounder had helped the franchise win the second edition of the WPL. She stood up for the team in pressure situations, and it remains to be seen who steps up in her place for the side.
On the other hand, the Delhi Capitals have named Australian spinner Alana King as the replacement for Sutherland. King, who played for the UP Warriorz in the previous season, will be joining the Jemimah Rodrigues-led lineup at a reserve price of INR 60 lakh.
Left-arm medium pacer Tara Norris, who plays for the USA national team, has also been deemed unavailable for the upcoming competition after being picked in the national squad for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, scheduled to be played in Nepal from January 18 to February 1, 2026.
Norris was set to play for the UP Warriorz. The franchise coached by Abhishek Nayar have now named uncapped Australian all-rounder Charli Knott as her replacement for a reserve price of INR 10 lakh.
Ashleigh Gardner to lead Gujarat Giants
On Monday, the Gujarat Giants confirmed that Ashleigh Gardner will continue leading the team in the upcoming WPL season.
Experience in her stride. Belief in her voice. Ash Gardner steps up once more as our CAPTAIN, primed to take us to glory,” the Giants wrote on X as they made the official announcement.
Speaking of Gardner, she has played 25 matches for the Giants in the first three seasons, scoring 567 runs with five half-centuries. She also has 25 wickets at an economy rate of 8.34 to her name.
After the conclusion of the WPL 2026 season, India and Australia Women are slated to square off in a multi-format series against each other in February-March next year where the two teams will play 3 T20Is, 3 ODIs and one-off Test match. This would be the first meeting between the two teams after the famous Women’s World Cup semi-final where India defeated Australia to eliminate them from the tournament.