The upcoming Women’s Premier League 2026 (WPL 2026) was hit by a major setback as several international stars withdrew from the next season, citing national duty and personal reasons. Just before the Women’s Premier League 2026 gets underway, teams have been forced into sudden changes that have shaken up their plans.
USA’s left-arm seamer Tara Norris has stunned the UP Warriorz by pulling out of the WPL 2026 due to national commitment. Norris has been named in the USA squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Nepal.
WPL 2026 hit by last-minute pullouts as UP Warriorz lose Tara Norris
The qualifier runs from January 18 to February 1, clashing with the WPL. The upcoming Indian league will start on January 9, which means Norris will miss the entire season. Norris was part of Delhi Capitals in 2022-23, and she has taken seven wickets in five games in the league.
Your daily dose of cricket!
To replace Norris, UP Warriorz have taken a gamble by signing the uncapped Australian all-rounder Charli Knott. Knott has joined the UP Warriorz at a base price of INR 10 lakh.
Read Also: Suryakumar Yadav in trouble! Bollywood actress levels stunning allegations just before T20 World Cup
After becoming one of the biggest names in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), Charli Knott is all set to make her mark in the WPL with UP Warriorz in 2026. It will be her debut season.
RCB hero Ellyse Perry misses WPL 2026; Sayali Satghare joins as her replacement
The shock didn’t end there, as two big Australian stars also confirmed their withdrawal from the WPL 2026. Ellyse Perry will not be available for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), while the Delhi Capitals (DC) will also be without Annabel Sutherland in the next edition of the tournament.
Both Perry and Sutherland cited personal reasons for their decisions. As a result, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have drafted in Indian all-rounder Sayali Satghare at her price of INR 30 lakh as Perry’s replacement. Satghare was part of the Gujarat Giants in the last season. She did not get many chances and finished with just one wicket from four matches.
Read Also: WPL 2026 dates officially announced, World Cup venue finalized for the opener
Perry has been one of the key players for RCB in the Women’s Premier League. The Australian all-rounder has played for the franchise in all three seasons so far and has made a big impact with both bat and ball. In 25 matches, Perry has scored 972 runs and picked up 14 wickets.
Perry’s best season came in the second edition of the WPL, where she finished as the highest run-scorer and played a key role in RCB lifting the title. Given her form, the RCB retained Perry ahead of the mega auction, along with Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, and Shreyanka Patil.
Alana King replaces Annabel Sutherland for WPL 2026
On the other hand, Delhi Capitals (DC) have signed the senior Australian leg-spinner Alana King at her base price of INR 60 lakh to replace Sutherland for the next Women’s Premier League season. King brings strong experience despite limited WPL action.
She played only one match for UP Warriorz in 2025, but her international numbers stand out. The leg-spinner has taken 27 wickets in 27 T20I games at an impressive average of 18.81.
Notably, Sutherland’s WPL journey started with Gujarat Giants in the first season and later shifted to Delhi Capitals. In the 2025 season, she took nine wickets and scored 95 runs. Delhi Capitals valued her all-round impact and retained her along with Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Shafali Verma, and N. Shree Charani.
