New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has confirmed that she will retire from ODI cricket following the 2025 Women's World Cup, set to be held in India and Sri Lanka later this year. This announcement marks the end of an era for the White Ferns in ODI cricket, as Devine has been a cornerstone of New Zealand cricket for so many years.
However, she will be available for T20Is under a casual playing agreement with New Zealand Cricket. Having established herself as one of the crucial players for New Zealand, Devine has made 152 ODI appearances for the side, scoring 3,990, including eight centuries and 16 half-centuries.
"It feels like the right time for me to start stepping away. I feel very fortunate to have NZC's support in finding a solution that means I can still give to the White Ferns. It's important that everyone knows I'm focused and dedicated to giving this group everything I can before I step away. I'm really excited by where this young group's going and I'm looking forward to playing my part in the next six to nine months,” Devine said as quoted by New Zealand cricket board’s website.
Liz Green, NZC Head of Women's High Performance said, “Sophie's given nearly 20 years of service to the White Ferns and NZC is fully supportive of her quest to find more balance at this stage in her career. We're pleased to be able to reach an agreement that means she can continue to be involved with the White Ferns on a case-by-case basis, whilst opening up the opportunity for another player to be contracted in full."
Meanwhile, New Zealand will kick off their ODI World Cup campaign on October 1 by facing Australia in Indore.