With Gaby Lewis replacing Laura Delany as captain, Ireland Women are looking to the future. Delany is their most seasoned player to date. Delany has 207 appearances for Ireland in various formats and has also led them for the last eight years.
Ireland has been booming lately despite missing out on the Women’s T20 World Cup. In August, they tied a one-sided bilateral match against Sri Lanka 1-1 thanks to a century from Lewis, who also won Player of the Series. In the following ODIs, they triumphed 2-1 over Sri Lanka.
Playing club cricket in Melbourne at the moment, Lewis remarked, “I know Dells was one of those team-mates you looked to for inspiration when I first came into the senior set-up.”
Lewis was barely 13 years old when she made her Ireland debut. She is their top run scorer, With 3,742 runs at 28.95 across formats, two centuries, and twenty-one half-centuries.
In addition, the 23-year-old has led her nation 12 times as captain. She will assume full-time leadership before upcoming tours to Bangladesh and India in November and January.
“I really am enthused about the young talent coming through the system, and I had a great time playing the part throughout the summer. Despite our youthful team, our past performances have demonstrated that we are capable of competing with the best.”
Ireland selector Ciara O’Brien confirmed Delany’s decision to stay on the team, and head coach Ed Joyce commended her accomplishments throughout her career, which started in 2010.
She guided the team through the transition from amateur to professional status and provided the squad with fantastic support during the COVID years, which must be acknowledged more. I have thoroughly loved every minute of working with Laura, who is among the most focused and competitive players I have ever encountered.”
Orla Prendergast, 22, has been selected vice-captain of Ireland. When Ireland overcame a late deficit to tie a Twenty20 International series against England in September, she played a crucial role with the bat and the ball, and a significant year in 2025.
We have qualification events to navigate for the 2025 50-over World Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup, in addition to another hectic home summer. As a result, this point in the cycle would be ideal for allowing the new leadership team to adjust and start making plans.
