England all-rounder Dani Gibson has been appointed captain of Sunrisers Leeds ahead of the 2026 edition of The Hundred, completing a remarkable rise for the 25-year-old just months after becoming the most expensive English player in the women’s competition.
Gibson was signed by Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 (approximately US$255,000) at The Hundred auction in March following a bidding battle with Welsh Fire. The deal not only made her one of the tournament’s marquee signings but also underlined her growing reputation as one of the most sought-after seam-bowling all-rounders in the women’s game.
Her appointment as captain comes despite having no senior captaincy experience. She effectively succeeds Hollie Armitage, who led Northern Superchargers to the 2025 title before moving to MI London in this year’s auction.
Sunrisers Leeds have nevertheless placed their faith in Gibson, who has steadily established herself as a key performer in franchise cricket and an increasingly important member of England’s white-ball setup. The captaincy appointment continues what has been a memorable year for Gibson.
After spending more than a year on the sidelines with a persistent back injury, she returned to international cricket during England’s recent ODI series against New Zealand. Her comeback was encouraging, contributing a run-a-ball 19 in the opening match and claiming wickets in all three games of the series. England selectors were sufficiently impressed to include her in their squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which begins later this month on home soil.
Gibson’s value in the franchise game stems from her ability to contribute with both bat and ball. Across five seasons in The Hundred, she has featured in 39 matches, scoring 444 runs at a strike rate of 143.68 while also taking 20 wickets. Her ability to accelerate the scoring in the middle and lower order, combined with her seam bowling, has made her one of the most versatile players in the competition.
Her best season with the bat came in 2023 when she scored 146 runs in six innings at a strike rate of over 153, highlighting the explosive qualities that attracted franchises during the auction. While her overall numbers may not match some of the competition’s established stars, teams have consistently valued her rare skill set as a pace-bowling all-rounder.
Gibson also heads into the new season with encouraging recent form. In England’s T20 World Cup warm-up fixture against Australia, she produced a quickfire 27 from just 16 deliveries, providing another reminder of her ability to change the course of a match in a short space of time.
The challenge now will be balancing leadership responsibilities with her all-round role in a squad packed with international experience. Sunrisers Leeds boast one of the strongest line-ups in the competition, featuring Australian star Annabel Sutherland, India’s Deepti Sharma, Australia’s Jess Jonassen, England seamer Kate Cross, Phoebe Litchfield and Lauren Winfield-Hill. The presence of experienced figures such as Cross, Jonassen and Winfield-Hill should provide valuable support for a first-time captain.
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