Sophie Molineux has been confirmed as Alyssa Healy's permanent replacement in the role of Australia's national team captain for all formats. Molineux will begin her captaincy duties during the upcoming home series against India which includes T20I matches. 

Australia chose to promote Molineux to a higher position than Tahlia McGrath who currently serves as the all-format vice-captain. Ashleigh Gardner who seeks to become a leader has been selected as the second vice-captain who will support Molineux and McGrath.

The spinner from Victoria who is 28 years old has been chosen to play because she has not competed in T20I or Test matches since her last knee injury which occurred in 2024. The Australian team restricted her playing time during the ODI World Cup because of her previous injury while she spent the entire WBBL season with Melbourne Renegades.

Her successful tenure as Renegades captain, which resulted in the team winning their first title since 2024, became the primary reason for her promotion to the national leadership position. Molineux will make her debut as Australian captain during the three T20I matches against India which occur in mid-February. Healy will return to lead the team during her farewell ODI series and final Test match at the WACA ground which takes place in early March.

Molineux will take charge of all three formats during Australia's Caribbean multi-format tour which features one Test match until she turns her attention to leading the team at the T20 World Cup in England which takes place in June. National selector Shawn Flegler said Molineux was the right choice to lead the team while he confirmed that she would not play in every game because selectors needed to restrict her playing time because of her previous injuries. 

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Legspinner Alana King has been excluded from the T20I squad for the India series after her challenging performance during the WBBL season. Allrounder Nicola Carey from Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes returns to both white-ball squads which brings her closer to her first international match since 2022 after she displayed exceptional performance in domestic and franchise matches.

Veteran pacer Megan Schutt appears to have reached the end of her ODI career after she was not chosen for the 50-over match squad. The Test squad selection process excluded her while 19-year-old left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton received her first international Test match selection. Hamilton and King have both been named in the Governor-General’s XI to face India in a warm-up T20 match in Sydney on February 13, ahead of the series opener on February 15.