She made her senior international debut in July 2014, aged only 13[1] and made her Twenty20 International (T20I) debut later in the same year, becoming the youngest to play at that level. The International Cricket Council (ICC) named Lewis as one of the five breakout stars in women's cricket in 2018.[2]
She currently captains the Women's Super Series team Scorchers.[3] In June 2022, at the age of 21, Lewis became the youngest player to captain the Ireland Women's team in international cricket.[4]
Early life
Lewis was born in Dublin. Her older sister, Robyn Lewis, has played alongside her both at club and national level,[5] while her father, Alan Lewis, and grandfather, Ian Lewis, both represented the Irish men's side.[6][7] Both members of Dublin's YMCA Cricket Club, the Lewis sisters first came to attention in November 2013, when they were named in Cricket Ireland's Emerging Players Squad.[8] Gaby Lewis was first called up to Ireland's senior team in July 2014, playing five matches against English county sides in the ECB Women's Twenty20 Cup.[9] She subsequently made her international debut in August, playing twice against the Netherlands at the 2014 European Championship.[10] In the second of those matches, she scored 38 from 35 balls coming in third in the batting order, which included a 94-run partnership with Clare Shillington (20 years her elder).[11][12]
In September 2014, Lewis was selected in Ireland's squad for a three-match T20I series against South Africa, played at a neutral venue in Birmingham, England. She sat the first game out, but was included for the final two games, scoring five runs on debut and then 12 not out in the third game.[19] On debut, Lewis was 13 years and 166 days old, breaking the record set by her teammate Lucy O'Reilly for the youngest T20I player.[20] She also became the first international cricketer born in the 21st century.[21] Across all men's and women's international cricket (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is), only Pakistan's Sajjida Shah has played at a younger age.[22]
After her debut series against South Africa, Lewis next played at international level in August 2015, when she was named in Ireland's squad for a three-match series against Australia.[19] In the first match, she came in sixth in the batting order, and scored 23 runs from 30 balls, behind only Cecelia Joyce.[23] She had less success, however, in the other matches, scoring four runs in the second game and ten in the third.[24][25] Later in the year, Lewis also played in the 2015 World Twenty20 Qualifier in Thailand.[26] At the 2016 World Twenty20 in India, she played in two of her team's matches (against New Zealand and Sri Lanka), but had little impact.[19]
In May 2022, Lewis was named as the captain of Ireland's team for their home series against South Africa.[37] In the first match of the tour, Lewis scored her 1,000th run in WT20I cricket.[38] In the next match, Lewis earned her 50th cap in the format.[39] On 26 August 2022, Lewis earned her 100th international cap for Ireland, scoring 92 in her side's victory against the Netherlands.[40]
In August 2024 Lewis made her highest score in international cricket with 119(75) to guide Ireland to a win over Sri Lanka and draw their T20I series.[41] A month later she made 72(56) as stand-in captain to lead Ireland to their first ODI win over England since 2001.[42]
Lewis was named full-time Ireland captain in October 2024, replacing teammate Laura Delany in the role. Head coach Ed Joyce commented saying that "Gaby, as a cricketer and leader, has continued to grow and improve year-on-year. Her analysis and reading of the game are excellent and her captaincy in Laura’s absence for much of this summer was outstanding. She is ready to take on the role of captain and I’m excited to see where she can take the team in the next few years."[43]
She was named as captain of the Ireland squad for their T20I and ODI tour to Bangladesh in November 2024.[44][45]
