NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) announced on Thursday the signing of England's off-spinner Charlie Dean to replace Sophie Molineux, who is sidelined with an injury for the forthcoming 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 stated in a media release.
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Dean, aged 24, is a bowling all-rounder who has represented England in 36 T20Is, 3 Tests, and 39 ODIs. Her international cricket career includes 122 wickets across all formats.
Molineux sustained her injury following India's Australian tour in December 2023 and will not be fit for the upcoming season. She was crucial to RCB-W's performance in WPL 2024, taking 12 wickets in 10 matches with an economy rate of 7.31, notably claiming three wickets in one over during the final against Delhi Capitals.
In the 2024 season, Molineux formed a formidable spin bowling combination with Asha Sobhana and Purple Cap recipient Shreyanka Patil, contributing significantly to RCB's title victory.
RCB Squad: 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.
