WPL 2026: Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland withdraw from tournament, replacements announced

Two key Australian all-rounders will miss the 2026 Women’s Premier League season, with Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland withdrawing from the tournament for personal reasons, dealing a blow to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC) respectively. Royal Challengers Bengaluru confirmed that Perry will not be available for WPL 2026 and have named Indian pacer Sayali Satghare as her replacement.

Alana replaces Sutherland

Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, have roped in leg-spinner Alana King as a replacement for Sutherland. The withdrawals come just weeks before the season, forcing teams to quickly adjust their squad balance.

Perry has been one of the most influential players in WPL history. The Australian all-rounder featured in all three seasons for RCB and played a major role in the franchise’s title-winning campaign in the second edition. Across 25 matches, Perry scored 972 runs and picked up 14 wickets, often anchoring the batting while contributing with the ball.

Ahead of the WPL 2026 auction, RCB had retained Perry along with Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Shreyanka Patil, underlining her importance to the side. Her replacement, Sayali Satghare, was part of the Gujarat Giants squad in 2025. While she managed just one wicket in four matches, the Indian seamer has international experience, having represented India in three ODIs. RCB will hope she can step up on the big stage and add depth to their bowling attack.

Annabel Sutherland’s absence is another setback, this time for the Delhi Capitals. The Australian all-rounder previously played for the Gujarat Giants in the inaugural season before moving to DC. She enjoyed a productive 2025 season, scoring 95 runs and taking nine wickets. Sutherland was among DC’s five retained players, alongside Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Shafali Verma and N. Shree Charani.

Delhi have turned to Alana King, a leg-spinner with strong international credentials. King has played just one WPL match so far, turning out for UP Warriorz in 2025. However, her T20I record stands out, with 27 wickets in 27 matches at an average of 18.81.

Meanwhile, UP Warriorz will also be without Tara Norris, who has been named in the USA squad for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers. Australian all-rounder Charli Knott has been named as her replacement.