WPL 2025: RCB Rope in England Spinner Charlie Dean as Replacement For Injured 2024 Final Star Performer

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday (January 16) annouced the signing of England's Charlie Dean as a replacement for the injured Australian star Sophie Molineux ahead of the upcoming Women's Premier League - WPL 2025.

Molineux, who played a crucial hand with the ball in RCB's first-ever title win last year, is set to miss the third edition of the TATA WPL due to a knee injury. The 26-year-old 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.

This will come as a blow to the 2024 WPL champions in their quest for a title defence. The left-arm spinner had claimed 3 wickets in the WPL 2024 final against Delhi Capitals, and finished the season as the joint second-highest wicket taker with a total of 12 wickets along with teammate Asha Shobana.

RCB has now roped in a right-arm off-break bowling all-rounder Dean, who represents England in international cricket and has played 36 T20Is, in addition to 3 Tests and 39 ODIs. The England all-rounder joins RCB for INR 30 Lakh.

Dean comes in with good numbers in the shortest format, having claimed 46 WT20I wickets to her name at a meagre economy rate of just 6.91, bowling in the middle and death over. She is also a handy lower-order batter.

The 24-year-old will be the third English player in the RCB side for the 2025 season, joining Kate Cross and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who was traded into the Bengaluru-based side ahead of the WPL Auction from UP Warriorz.

Originally acquired by UPW in the 2024 auction for INR 30 lakhs, Wyatt moved to RCB for the same fee. Wyatt brings a wealth of experience to RCB, having played 164 T20 Internationals (T20Is) for England - the highest number for any English player in the T20I format. Here is a look at RCB-W updated squad:

RCB Women's 2025 Squad

Smriti Mandhana (captain), Sabbineni Meghana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh, Charlie Dean, Ekta Bisht, Kate Cross, Kanika Ahuja, Danni Wyatt (traded), Prema Rawat, Joshitha VJ, Raghvi Bist, Jagravi Pawar.