Two cricketers from Australia, Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland, have withdrawn from the WPL league citing personal reasons, so this is a clear signal to the RCB and Delhi Capitals on December 30. In the meantime, the WPL through its official message confirmed the surprised situation and the confirmation created a ripple effect on social media.
Disappointment was felt among the fans because the two players are one of the main attractions of the tournament, in their absence a huge gap will be left and the entire team balance will be disrupted. This is the first time in the WPL history that players of such high caliber and reputation have abandoned the league at the last moment.
The withdrawal of the players at the last moment without prior notice or giving the reason is very common in IPL, which finally drove the BCCI to introduce strict rules to stop such practices. Nevertheless, the fans are now asking for a ban for Perry and Sutherland.
On the other hand, some people are asking whether the IPL rules in this case will be applicable, and whether the two Australian players will be barred from playing not only in WPL 5 but throughout the WPL. So the present article will explain the WPL rules.
BCCI rules regarding players skipping the league after the auction
Will Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland be excluded from WPL 2027? Let’s take a look at the regulations
Importantly, after IPL 2024, the governing committee made it known through the re-issue of the rules that players who do not participate in the auction will face severe penalties.
Rule 1: Overseas cricketers who, with no good reason, make themselves unavailable for an IPL season after being purchased at an auction will now suffer a two-year ban as punishment.
Rule 2: A foreign player will not be eligible to enter into a mini auction if he has not participated in the immediately preceding mega auction.
Perry and Sutherland’s journey through RCB and Delhi Capitals
WPL A new league was inaugurated in 2023, and RCB signed Ellyse Perry for 1.70 crores. The Australian all-rounder has been a part of the Challengers for three seasons and even raised the trophy in WPL 2024.
In contrast, the Delhi Capitals acquired Annabel Sutherland for 2 crores in the WPL 2024 event. The 24-year-old has been a finalist with DC on two occasions but has yet to claim the coveted title.
So far, the pair have kept the specific reasons for their non-participation secret, yet a conclusion can be drawn that Cricket Australia are looking at their workload management in view of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins in June this year. Besides, the present situation may lead BCCI to not so long have new regulations for players coming to their support.
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