A major controversy broke out in the Women's Premier League (WPL) even before the first ball was bowled in the league on Saturday, March 4.

Gujarat Giants' all-rounder Deandra Dottin was 'ruled out' with a medical condition, and the franchise roped in Kim Garth of Australia as her replacement. The former West Indies international, Dottin was bought for ₹60 lakhs in the WPL player auction, while Garth had remained unsold.

However, Dottin dropped a bombshell when she posted a tweet suggesting that she was feeling fine and ‘recovering from nothing’. 

Dottin's tweet went viral in no time as fans questioned the Gujarat franchise over the issue and slammed them for being disrespectful towards the West Indies cricketer.

READ ALSO: ‘I'm recovering from nothing’ Deandra Dottin claims she's fit after being replaced by Gujarat Giants

On Sunday, the Giants have released an official statement on the same and said that they could not ‘obtain a medical clearance for Dottin before the defined deadline’ while adding that the franchise looks forward to having her as part of the team in the upcoming seasons.

The statement read: “Deandra is a world-class player and a wonderful signing for the franchise. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain a medical clearance before the defined deadline for the season, such clearances are a requirement of all players participating in the WPL. We look forward to seeing her return to the field soon. Subject to the clearance of her medical report, she will be part of the Gujarat Giants squad in the upcoming seasons.”

Gujarat Giants suffered a crushing defeat by 143 runs in the tournament opener to Mumbai Indians at the DY Patil Stadium. Their captain Beth Mooney also suffered an injury, forcing her to retire hurt and she could miss few games if not the remainder of the tournament.