New Zealand Cricket Icon Martin Guptill Announces Retirement

By Unnati Madan On Jan 8, 2025

Beyond The Boundaries: A Tribute To Martin Guptill

New Zealand cricket legend Martin Guptill has announced his retirement from international cricket. A top-order batsman, he played for New Zealand in all three formats and was considered one of the best opening batsmen in the world for most of his career.

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Martin Guptill Announces Retirement from International Cricket

Martin Guptill made his debut for New Zealand in January 2009 during a home ODI series against the West Indies. Just a month later, in February, he made his T20I debut, followed by his first Test match appearance in March of the same year.

Martin Guptill’s last appearance for New Zealand was in 2022. Throughout his career, the right-handed batsman played over 350 matches across all three formats. He featured in 198 ODIs, 122 T20Is, and 47 Tests for the Black Caps. Guptill scored 3,531 runs in T20Is, holding the record for the most T20I runs by a New Zealand player.

A Heartfelt Farewell: Guptill Reflects on His Career and Gratitude

In ODIs, Martin Guptill scored 7,346 runs, ranking third on New Zealand’s list of highest ODI run scorers, behind Ross Taylor and Stephen Fleming. In tests, he made 2,586 runs. Guptill scored a total of 23 centuries and 76 half centuries across all formats.

“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,” said Martin Guptill.

“I will forever cherish the memories made wearing the silver fern alongside a great group of guys.

“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,” he added.

Furthermore, Martin Guptill expressed gratitude to his family and said: “To my wife Laura and our beautiful children Harley and Teddy – thank-you. 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.”

A Career That Shaped New Zealand Cricket: Guptill’s Lasting Impact

Although Martin Guptill has retired from international cricket, he will continue to play domestic and T20 franchise cricket. Currently, he is captaining the Auckland Aces in the ongoing Super Smash tournament.

Martin Guptill’s potential for greatness was evident early on when he became the first New Zealander to score a century on his ODI debut in 2009, achieving the feat against the West Indies at Eden Park. That same year, he was named to the ICC World ODI XI.

In 2015, Guptill made history again by becoming the first player from New Zealand to score an ODI double-century. He holds the record for three of New Zealand’s top four individual ODI scores. In addition to two T20I centuries, he scored three Test centuries.

Overall, Guptill accumulated over 13,000 runs in international cricket for New Zealand between 2009 and 2022.

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