The 38-year-old Black Caps opener Martin Guptill officially confirms retirement from international cricket after playing 367 international matches in his career for New Zealand.
New Zealand batter Martin Guptill, who last played for New Zealand in 2022 announces his retirement from international cricket after 2 years on Wednesday, January 8. His 13-year career (2009-2022) of 367 games for New Zealand comes to an end with his last match played in October 2022 against Australia. He played 198 ODIs, 122 T20Is, and 47 Test matches amassing 13,463 runs, and 23 international centuries (3 Tests, 18 ODIs, 2 T20Is).
The right-handed batter broke several records in white-ball cricket including the third-highest run-scorer for New Zealand in ODIs with 7346 runs after Ross Taylor (8607) and Stephen Fleming (8007). But Guptill’s best for New Zealand came in the shortest format of the game as he bid goodbye to his cricket career with 3531 runs at an average of 31.81 and a strike rate of 135.70 to become the highest T20I run scorer for the Kiwis.
Guptill made his debut for the Black Caps in 2009 against the West Indies and smashed a 122 not out, which is still the highest by a New Zealander on his one-day debut. He scored 547 runs, the highest in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
Guptill marked his extraordinary presence in T20Is with an intense 101 not out off 69 balls against South Africa in East London in 2012 and a striking 105 off 54 balls against Australia in 2018 in Auckland.
He made a significant contribution in Tests, with 2,586 runs in 47 matches including a career-best 189 against Bangladesh in 2010, 109 against Zimbabwe in 2011, and 156 against Sri Lanka in 2015. Meanwhile, his fielding prowess on the ground proved to be a game-changer for New Zealand numerous times. MS Dhoni’s run-out in the 2019 World Cup semi-final is the most famous incident of Guptill’s fielding prowess that changed the game’s result in New Zealand’s favor.
Guptill is presently fulfilling his duties for Auckland in the Super Smash T20 Tournament and is in contention for a PSL contract with Islamabad United which has the option to retain him in the PSL 2025 Draft.
🚨 Martin Guptill announces his official retirement from international cricket. 🏏 pic.twitter.com/gANVtRHh6U
— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) January 8, 2025
What Did Guptill Said On His Retirement?
“As a young kid it was always my dream to play for New Zealand and I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have played 367 games for my country,” Guptill said in an NZC statement. “I will forever cherish the memories made wearing the silver fern alongside a great group of guys.
Expressing his gratitude for his teammates, Guptill said, “I want to say a huge thanks to all my team-mates and coaching staff over the years, in particular Mark O’Donnell who has coached me since the Under-19 level and been a source of ongoing support and wisdom over my career.”
Voicing his love and gratefulness for his wife, Laura, and children Harley and Teddy, Guptill spoke, Thank you Laura for the sacrifices you have made for me and our family. You’ve been my biggest supporter, my rock and my counsel through all of the ups and downs that come with the game. I am eternally grateful.”
“Finally, I’d like to thank all the cricket fans, here in NZ and around the world for all their support throughout the years.”
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