Royal Challengers Bengaluru have signed England spinner Charlie Dean as a replacement for all-rounder Sophie Molineux, who has been ruled of the upcoming Women's Premier League season.
An official statement from the league on Thursday (January 16) read as follows:
“Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday picked Charlie Dean as a replacement for the injured Sophie Molineux for the upcoming TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025. Molineux will not feature in the third edition of the TATA WPL due to knee injury.
Dean represents England in international cricket and has played 36 T20Is, in addition to 3 Tests and 39 ODIs. The England all-rounder will join RCB for INR 30 Lakh.”
Molineux, who has played 54 times for Australia, was not part of the RCB side for their inaugural WPL campaign. She was signed ahead of the 2024 season and went on to play 10 matches last year, becoming a integral part of the title-winning team – particularly with the ball, picking up 12 wickets.
Through a statement on their website, RCB said: “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. Molineux, throughout the [last] 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.”
RCB have chosen to replace the left-arm spinner with an off-spinner in England's Charlie Dean. Still only 24, Dean has already appeared in 78 international matches and is currently representing her country in the Ashes in Australia.
This will be Dean's first stint with a T20 outfit outside of England. She has played 30 matches across four years for the London Spirit in The Hundred, and represented Southern Vipers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Charlie Dean – record in all T20 cricket
| Matches | 83 |
| Runs | 438 |
| Wickets | 80 |
| Batting Avg | 16.8 |
| Batting SR | 115 |
| Bowling Avg | 22.7 |
| Econ | 7.0 |
