White Ferns legends Devine, Tahuhu to retire after T20 World Cup

Key facts

• Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu announced the 2025 T20 World Cup will be their last appearances for the White Ferns.
• Devine, 36, ends a 20-year international career with 7,866 runs in 310 matches across all formats.
• Devine is New Zealand's most prolific T20I bowler, with 128 wickets, 24 ahead of Melie Kerr.
• Tahuhu, a right-arm seamer, debuted in 2011 and is the White Ferns' second-highest ODI wicket-taker with 125 scalps.
• Melie Kerr will captain the 15-player squad for the tournament, seeking back-to-back titles after the 2024 win.
• Devine captained New Zealand in 56 ODIs and 64 T20Is, second only to Bates in both formats.
• Devine was recently bought by Welsh Fire for £210,000 in the Hundred auction, the joint-highest earner.
• Coach Ben Sawyer called the simultaneous retirement of the three most senior players 'a rare and special occasion.'

A triple farewell to the international stage

Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu have announced that this year's T20 World Cup in England will be their last appearances for the White Ferns, joining Suzie Bates in a mass departure of the team's most experienced players. The defending champions revealed their 15-player squad on Wednesday, with allrounder Melie Kerr set to lead the side as they aim to retain the title they won against South Africa in the 2024 edition held in the United Arab Emirates. Devine, who captained New Zealand to that victory and has since handed the captaincy to Kerr, will bring down the curtain on a 20-year international career. She previously stepped away from 50-over internationals after last year's ODI World Cup in India.

Devine's decorated career in numbers

The 36-year-old allrounder has amassed 7,866 runs in 310 matches across all formats, making her the country's second-most capped women's cricketer and second-highest run-scorer behind Bates. Devine is also New Zealand's most prolific bowler in T20 internationals, currently holding 128 wickets, 24 ahead of Kerr and 30 ahead of Tahuhu. In ODIs, Devine ranks third on the wicket-takers' list with 111 scalps, while Tahuhu sits second with 125, recently surpassed by Kerr's 126. Devine represented New Zealand in field hockey before focusing on cricket and captained her country in 56 ODIs and 64 T20Is, again second only to Bates in both categories.

Tahuhu's journey from debut to veteran

Lea Tahuhu made her international debut against Australia in 2011 and has since become a mainstay of the White Ferns' bowling attack. The right-arm seamer is the team's second-highest wicket-taker in ODIs, with 125 scalps, and has taken 98 wickets in T20Is. "There's no better way I could've imagined finishing my career than alongside 'Soph' and 'Suz', two teammates I've shared incredible years and countless memories with," Tahuhu said in a post on the White Ferns' Instagram page.

Coach Sawyer hails a rare moment

New Zealand coach Ben Sawyer described the simultaneous retirement of the three most senior players as a rare and special occasion. "All three have had distinguished careers in their own right and given so much to this team and the game in general," he said. Sawyer added that there will be a time at the end of the tournament to further acknowledge and celebrate the trio, noting that they are currently focused on performing well in their final mission with the team.

Devine's franchise future remains bright

Devine, who has captained the Perth Scorchers for the past six seasons and was named in the WBBL Team of the Decade, will continue to play T20 franchise cricket. She was recently bought by Welsh Fire for a bumper £210,000 (A$395,000) in the Hundred auction, making her the joint-highest earner alongside Australia's Beth Mooney. In the WBBL, Devine is the third-highest run-scorer of all time with 4,195 runs, behind Mooney (5,600) and Ellyse Perry (5,101). However, she remains unsigned for next season due to a league-wide contracting embargo currently in place.

A legacy of milestones and records

Devine made her White Ferns T20 debut against Australia in 2006 and is one of only two women to complete the double of scoring 3,000 runs and taking 100 wickets in T20 internationals, alongside West Indian Hayley Matthews. Her career spans two decades and includes leadership of the team through a World Cup triumph. As the White Ferns prepare to defend their title, the departure of Devine, Tahuhu, and Bates marks the end of an era. The tournament will serve as a final stage for three players who have shaped New Zealand women's cricket for over a decade.

The bottom line

• Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu will retire from international cricket after the 2025 T20 World Cup, joining Suzie Bates.
• Devine ends her career as New Zealand's leading T20I wicket-taker and second-highest run-scorer across all formats.
• Tahuhu is the White Ferns' second-highest ODI wicket-taker with 125 wickets.
• Melie Kerr will captain the defending champions in the tournament.
• Devine will continue playing franchise cricket, having signed a lucrative deal with Welsh Fire.
• The trio's departure marks a generational shift for New Zealand women's cricket.