In a move to build for the future, Ireland Cricket has appointed star batter Gaby Lewis as the new captain of the women's national team.

Lewis, 23, will lead Ireland in their upcoming tours to Bangladesh and India, replacing Laura Delany, who has held the role for the past eight years. The decision signals a shift towards nurturing a younger leadership group while acknowledging Delany's immense contributions to the team.

Lewis, already a proven leader, has captained Ireland in seven ODIs and five T20Is in Delany's absence. Her leadership has been marked by notable success, including a recent victory over England, where her outstanding knock of 72 from 56 balls helped secure a memorable win in the ODI series. She also played a key role in a tied T20I series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, where her explosive century guided Ireland to victory in one of the matches.

Delany, who has played 207 matches for Ireland and is one of the country’s most experienced cricketers, will continue playing despite stepping down from the captaincy. She has amassed nearly 2,500 international runs and taken 112 wickets throughout her career.

Lewis, who made her international debut at just 13 years old, has already cemented her place as Ireland’s most successful batter. She is the only Irish player to score 3,000 runs in international cricket and has several centuries to her name. In addition to her batting prowess, she is a handy leg-spinner.

Lewis is eager to take on her new role, adding, “I am delighted to be asked to be Ireland Women’s captain on a permanent basis. I thoroughly enjoyed acting in the role during the summer and am genuinely excited about the young talent coming through the system. While we are a young squad, the results in recent years have shown that we can compete with the best.”

22-year-old Orla Prendergast, another rising star who has performed brilliantly in recent matches, has been named the new vice-captain.