Dean finds joy in England captaincy ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

Charlie Dean has embraced her temporary role as England Women's captain while leading the team in preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Dean's leadership journey Somerset all-rounder Charlie Dean has expressed her satisfaction in captaining England Women as they gear up for the T20 World Cup later this month. Taking charge in the absence of Nat Sciver-Brunt, Dean highlighted the encouragement she received from her teammates during recent series against New Zealand and India. She described the experience as rewarding and noted that her cricketing progress has allowed her to step into this role confidently. "It's been really fun. It felt big for the ODIs with New Zealand, but I have eased into it and I have had the best support from the girls," she shared with a local radio station. ## Series outcomes and upcoming clashes England ended a 1-1 draw against New Zealand in the ODI series before triumphing 2-1 over the White Ferns in the T20 internationals. Currently, England and India are tied at 1-1 going into their third and final match of their three-game T20 series, scheduled for Tuesday evening in Taunton. Nat Sciver-Brunt remains expected to resume her captaincy before the World Cup begins on June 12. ## Knight's guidance and leadership lessons Dean also commended Heather Knight, her teammate and former captain, for her mentorship as she adapted to leading the national side. Knight recently became England's most-capped women's cricketer, a milestone Dean deeply respects. "Heather is a stalwart of English cricket, she always leads by example in the way she goes about her business on the pitch," Dean explained. She added, "She is someone I greatly admire and she has been alongside me as my leadership experience has started to grow. She has been a brilliant person to help mentor me and bounce ideas off." ## Adapting to leadership challenges Dean admitted finding it unusual to direct experienced players like Knight on the field, joking about the challenge of giving orders to a senior teammate. "Telling Heather to go and field at short third is a little intimidating!" she remarked. Despite initial hesitation, Knight has embraced Dean's leadership and supported her decisions wholeheartedly. Dean also expressed pride in guiding both seasoned campaigners and younger players, fostering their confidence throughout the process. ## World Cup preparation progress Dean believes England are in good shape as they approach the T20 World Cup, with warm-up fixtures still lined up against Australia and India ahead of their opening match against Sri Lanka on June 12. "I feel like we are getting there, it's been really good preparation from us, and then we'll get straight into on June 12, so we are really looking forward to it," she said. The recent series against top teams provided valuable experience as England fine-tuned their squad combinations. "We have been able to change the team around a bit, and find out what we want to go with into the World Cup with." ## Home advantage and weather woes Dean is eager to secure victory over India in Taunton, especially since she plays for Somerset and enjoys the support there. "Every time we have an international game in Taunton there has been weather around, which is shame because I love playing here," she admitted. Despite the occasional weather delays, she cherishes the passionate crowds and the celebration of cricket culture in the West Country. "The crowds we get in and the way cricket is celebrated down in the West Country makes it a special place to play. Playing for England makes it all the more special."