RCB’s Sophie Molineux ruled out of WPL 2025, replacement announced

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have experienced a significant setback ahead of the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 as a key spinner Sophie Molineux he was excluded from the tournament due to a knee injury.

RCB are facing a major setback due to Sophie Molineux’s injury

Molineux, a member of the Australian cricket team, sustained the injury during the series against India, making it unlikely that she will recover in time for the season. Her absence is a big blow for defending championwhich relied heavily on her all-round contribution last year.

Molineux was instrumental in RCB’s success at WPL 2024, where she played a key role in guiding the team to its first ever title. In the last edition, she took 12 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of 7.31, showing both her bowling prowess and composure in high-pressure situations. Her ability to turn the game around with her precise left-arm spin, combined with her practical contributions with the bat in the lower order, made her an indispensable part of RCB’s squad. Her performances have been crucial to RCB’s run to the title and without her this season, the franchise will undoubtedly miss her experience and match-winning ability.

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Announced replacement for Molineux

To fill the void left by Molineux, RCB made a smart move by signing England versatile Charlotte Dean as her replacement. Dean, with extensive international experience, comes with a solid track record of consistent performances across all formats. She has played 36 T20 Internationals, 3 Tests and 39 ODIs for England and boasts 46 wickets in T20Is at an economy rate of 6.91.

Along with her impressive bowling record, Dean is also a handy lower-order batsman capable of scoring crucial runs when required. Her ability to contribute on both fronts makes her an ideal replacement, although she will have big shoes to fill in Molineux’s absence. Dean is currently playing in the Ashes series for England Women and is expected to be fully available for the entire WPL 2025 season.

Her arrival adds depth to RCB’s squad and brings much-needed experience, especially in the spin department. Dean’s addition offers the defending champions a balanced attack, with the ability to match Molineux’s versatility, although replicating her impact on the pitch will be a challenge. As RCB prepare to defend their title, Dean’s arrival gives them a new boost, but the franchise will undoubtedly feel the absence of Molineux’s significant contribution this season.

🔊 OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 🔊

Our all-round champion Sophie Molineux is unfortunately ruled out #WPL2025 due to a knee injury, and the English all-rounder 𝐂𝐡__𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐧 was chosen as her replacement.

Welcome to #OurRCBCharlie! we can’t… pic.twitter.com/99LrPa1oMl

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) January 16, 2025

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This article was first published on WomenCricket.comand Cricket times company.