Charlie Dean says she is a more confident leader as she prepares to captain London Spirit again in The Hundred 2026.
Growth as a leader
The 25-year-old impressed earlier this summer when she captained England while Nat Sciver-Brunt was injured. She said she now knows her own game well enough to think more about others, and that she has developed personally, notably in areas such as public speaking that once challenged her.
Knight’s influence
Former England captain Heather Knight is now London Spirit’s general manager. Dean will lead on the field and have Knight as an off-field mentor. Dean said Knight has been a major influence on her development.
The two also play together for Somerset, where Knight joined as player and advisor in 2025, and their working relationship has continued at domestic and international level.
Dean admitted captaincy chances do not come often but said she has always enjoyed stepping up in leadership roles. She called this one a good way to test how far she has come, and noted that balancing international cricket with domestic captaincy is a challenge. She sees having Knight’s advice alongside freedom to make decisions as an ideal setting to keep learning.
The competition
In The Hundred 2026 each team plays eight group matches before the knockouts, with the league phase running until August 12. The tournament opened on July 21 and the final is at Lord’s on August 16.
