"Welcome to RCB cutie."
Delighted Indian fans have hailed England’s Lauren Bell as the “world’s most beautiful cricketer” after she signed for WPL side Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The 24-year-old, six-foot-two seam bowler was snapped up by the Indian franchise for a whopping £76,000 at the auction.
She joins a host of her fellow countrywomen in the league.
World No. 1 bowler Sophie Ecclestone will play for UP Warriorz, Danni Wyatt-Hodge has signed for Gujarat Giants, and Nat Sciver-Brunt agreed a deal with defending champions Mumbai Indians.
But it is Bell’s transfer that has most excited Indian fans, who flooded her Instagram to welcome her to the league.
One comment read: “The most beautiful woman cricketer Lauren Bell will now play for the most beautiful franchise.”
Another said: “We are very excited to see you playing for RCB team.”
A third wrote: “Welcome to RCB cutie.”
Lauren Bell was most recently part of the England squad that travelled to India for the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The Three Lions exited at the semi-final stage after a heavy 125-run defeat to South Africa.
The tournament was won by India.
Bell made her international debut in June 2022 after impressing in domestic cricket. Last month, she revealed that cricket was not her favourite sport growing up.
She revealed: “If you asked probably like 7-8-year-old Lauren, she would be in a full football kit running around with shin pads on.
“My grandad always bought us Manchester United kits and I was always in the garden playing football.”
“Like kids spend their time doing different things, I was always playing football.”
Bell had a stint with Reading’s academy but ultimately chose cricket after her parents pushed her to pick between the two sports.
She continued: “My parents were like, you need to choose.
“That was when I made the decision that I’ll follow cricket. I haven’t played football since, which is a bit sad, but I’ve not really looked back since then.”
Since moving from reserve status at the 2022 Women’s World Cup, Bell has become one of England’s key players. She is currently ranked No. 24 in the ICC World Rankings for bowlers and described her rise as “crazy”.
She added: “Looking back to being a reserve, it was beyond my expectations.
“To see how far I’ve come and how quickly everything has moved, and the responsibility I’ve got to opening the bowling and sometimes leading the attack, I have loved it all.”
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