Mumbai, Jan 16: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday signed England's off-spipnner Charlie Dean as a replacement for the injured Sophie Molineux for the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025.
"Molineux will not feature in the third edition of the WPL due to knee injury. Dean will join RCB for Rs 30 Lakh," the WPL said in a statement.
Dean, the 24-year-old bowling all-rounder, has played 36 T20Is in addition to 3 Tests and 39 ODIs for England. She has bagged 122 wickets across formats in international cricket.
Molineux picked up the injury after the completion of India’s tour of Australia in December last year and will not recover in time to play the season. The left-arm spin bowling all-rounder was an integral part of RCB-W’s squad in WPL 2024, accounting for 12 wickets in 10 games at an economy rate of just 7.31 - including a memorable three-wicket over in the final that stole the game away from the Delhi Capitals.
Molineux, throughout the 2024 season, was one part of the terrific spin trio alongside Asha Sobhana and Purple Cap winner Shreyanka Patil, as they ran riot against oppositions, fuelling RCB’s trophy win.
In the mini-auction last year, RCB acquired Uttarakhand leg-spinner Prema Rawat for Rs 1.2 crore, before roping in Joshitha VJ, Raghvi Bist and Jagravi Pawar for Rs 10 lakh each to complete their squad for the 2025 season title defence.
RCB squad for WPL 2025: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sabbineni Meghana, Richa Ghosh (wk), Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh, Sophie Molineux, Ekta Bisht, Kate Cross, Kanika Ahuja, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Prema Rawat, Joshitha VJ, Raghvi Bist, and Jagravi Pawar.
For the 2025 WPL, the BCCI has decided to introduce two new venues, alongside Mumbai and Bengaluru. The league will also be held in Baroda and Lucknow this year. The specific number of matches at each venue is yet to be confirmed, as the WPL schedule is yet to be announced.
