Lea Tahuhu and Sophie Devine to retire after T20 World Cup

Sophie Devine and lea tahuhu will end their White Ferns careers after this year's T20 World Cup in England. New Zealand named a 15-player squad on Wednesday, with Melie Kerr set to captain a side that is defending the title it won in 2024.

Devine ends 20-year career

Devine's exit closes a 20-year New Zealand career built across 310 matches and 7,866 runs. She already stepped away from 50-over internationals after last year's ODI World Cup in India, and she will finish as New Zealand's most prolific bowler in T20 internationals.

Her international record stretches back to her White Ferns 20-over debut against Australia in 2006. She is one of only two women to score 3,000 runs and take 100 wickets in T20 internationals, and she remains behind only Suzie Bates as New Zealand's most-capped women's cricketer and run-scorer in all formats.

Tahuhu's last White Ferns run

Tahuhu made her international debut against Australia in 2011 and leaves as the White Ferns' second-highest ODI wicket-taker with 125, after Kerr moved past her on 126. Her own note to teammates framed the finish plainly: “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”.

The three senior players are heading to the same tournament exit point, something coach Ben Sawyer called “a rare and special occasion” and said would get a proper celebration after the competition. He added: “All three have had distinguished careers in their own right and given so much to this team and the game in general.”

For New Zealand, the immediate task is the tournament itself, with a title defence built around a 15-player group now knowing three major figures are in their final White Ferns campaign. Devine will keep playing T20 franchise cricket, but England will be her last international stop with Tahuhu and Bates beside her.