Sunrisers Leeds will be going into the 2026 season of the Hundred with the confidence of being the reigning champions of the tournament, which they won in the 2025 season. The team, previously known as the Northern Superchargers, won the tournament with an impressive performance against Southern Braves by sealing the finals by 7 wickets. The team will be going into the new season as Sunrisers Leeds and will be hoping to better their performance and become one of the strongest teams in the tournament.
The batting line-up of the team is likely to be led by the young and talented Australian cricketer Phoebe Litchfield. Litchfield is considered one of the most talented young batters in the world because of her attacking style of play. She is also expected to score freely in the power play of the match and set the momentum. Litchfield will be accompanied in the batting line-up by the experienced Lauren Winfield-Hill. Winfield-Hill has years of experience under her belt from playing international as well as domestic cricket. The young wicket-keeper batter Maddie Ward is a great addition to the line-up.
The biggest strength of Sunrisers Leeds is their array of all-rounders that they have in their line-up. They have a great chance of getting a balanced line-up in both departments of the game. India’s Deepti Sharma will be the X-factor of this line-up as she contributes to the team with her off-spin as well as her batting down the middle order. Australia’s Annabel Sutherland is a great addition to this line-up as a pace bowler as well as a hard-hitting batter. Australia’s Jess Jonassen is another experienced player to provide stability to this line-up. England’s Danielle Gibson and Bryony Smith are great assets to maintain a proper balance. With so many all-rounders, teams can come up with different combinations on the basis of the opposition with effective planning and execution.
The bowling lineup comprises a combination of experienced players and young and upcoming bowling talent. England seam bowler Kate Cross heads the bowling lineup, providing control and accuracy, especially during the powerplay and death overs. She is backed by young seam bowling talent like Cassidy McCarthy and Rachel Slater, who bring speed and vigor to the bowling lineup. Leg spinner Hannah Baker provides a spin bowling option during the middle overs, while Claudie Cooper and Florence Miller provide additional depth in the squad.
The squad includes Phoebe Litchfield, Maddie Ward, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danielle Gibson, Jess Jonassen, Deepti Sharma, Bryony Smith, Annabel Sutherland, Hannah Baker, Kate Cross, Cassidy McCarthy, Rachel Slater, Claudie Cooper, and Florence Miller
Overall, Sunrisers Leeds appear to have a good balance of a squad which should enable them to retain their title. With the confidence of being the reigning champions, a good selection of international all-rounders in the squad, and a good balance of youth and experience in the team, Sunrisers Leeds appear to have a good chance of success in the 2026 season as they continue the skill show from their title-winning campaign last year.
I’m a Senior Masters student pursuing Journalism and Mass Communication. An all time Cricket enthusiast. I could never play the game but always loved watching it, and now writing about it!