Dani Gibson Appointed Captain of Sunrisers Leeds
Dani Gibson to captain Sunrisers Leeds in Women’s Hundred, a move that is set to bring a new era of leadership to the team, after she was signed on a huge £190,000 contract at March’s Hundred auction.
Gibson, the seam-bowling allrounder who is part of England’s squad for this month’s T20 World Cup, has no senior captaincy experience but has been chosen to lead Sunrisers this year.
Successor to Hollie Armitage
She effectively succeeds Hollie Armitage, who captained Northern Superchargers to the title last year but was signed by MI London (formerly Oval Invincibles) at the auction.
Gibson was the subject of a bidding war between Sunrisers and Welsh Fire at the auction and her £190,000 salary makes her the highest-paid English player in the women’s Hundred.
Support from Senior Players
Kate Cross, who was retained by Sunrisers before the auction, will be a senior player for Gibson to lean on, along with Jess Jonassen and Lauren Winfield-Hill.
“It’ll probably be a challenge for her, but that’s what cricket looks like now,” Cross told ESPNcricinfo. “There’s nowhere to hide. No matter what you’re earning, there’s press at every game now… It really does feel like there’s pressure on everyone, all the time.
“It will be a challenge for Dani, but what we’re seeing with her in an England shirt at the minute is her finding that role, and her clarity of how she plays her cricket. She’s going to be a great addition for us up in Leeds.”
Recent Captaincy Announcements
Armitage (MI London) and Charlie Dean (London Spirit) have both recently been confirmed as captains of their respective franchises for 2026, while the appointments of Ellyse Perry (Birmingham Phoenix) and Meg Lanning (Manchester Super Giants) had already been announced before March’s auction.
Gibson has since spoken about feeling “a bit like a fraud” after the auction, telling the Cricketer this month: “I really didn’t enjoy the week after… It wasn’t the nicest period, although it is such an amazing thing.”
