New Zealand captain Sophie Devine to retire post Women's World Cup 2025

Sophie Devine's contributions to New Zealand cricket have been immense. Across 152 ODIs, she has scored 3,990 runs at an average of 31.66, including eight centuries

One of the most decorated cricketers in New Zealand women’s cricket history, Sophie Devine has announced that she will retire from One-Day Internationals following the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. The tournament, scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka between September 30 and November 2, will mark the end of Devine’s illustrious ODI career, which began nearly two decades ago. While she will continue to feature in T20Is on a casual basis, she has opted out of New Zealand Cricket’s central contract list for the upcoming year.

 

The 35-year-old, who has captained the White Ferns since 2020, stated that the time felt right to begin stepping back and that she was grateful to New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for accommodating a flexible arrangement. 

 

Glittering career with bat, ball, and leadership

Devine’s contributions to New Zealand cricket have been immense. Across 152 ODIs, she has scored 3,990 runs at an average of 31.66, including eight centuries. In T20Is, she has amassed 3,431 runs in 146 matches. Her impact with the ball has also been significant, with 107 ODI and 119 T20I wickets to her name. Despite never featuring in a Test match, Devine has been a cornerstone of the White Ferns set-up.

 

Her leadership has been equally impactful, guiding New Zealand to a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and to their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title last year.  ALSO READ: ICC Women's World Cup 2025: India to face Pakistan in Colombo on October 5

Support from NZC and transition plans

Liz Green, NZC’s head of women’s high performance, affirmed the board’s support for Devine’s decision to reduce her workload while remaining available for select T20 appearances. NZC CEO Scott Weenink echoed the sentiment, calling her an extraordinary leader who would continue to play an influential role even beyond a full-time contract.

 

Devine will lead New Zealand into the World Cup campaign, beginning with a high-stakes clash against Australia on October 1 in Indore.