Srinagar: New Zealand highest run getter in T20 Cricket and one of the white ball best, Martin Guptill has announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday (January 8).
Guptill represented New Zealand in 367 games (198 ODIs, 122 T20Is, 47 Tests), scoring 23 centuries across the three formats and breaking numerous white-ball batting records.
Guptill finished his 14-year international career (2009 – 2022) as New Zealand’s leading T20I run-scorer with 3,531 from 122 T20I matches, and his 7,346 ODI runs places him third on the ODI list behind Ross Taylor and Stephen Fleming.
“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 in a statement said. “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 teammates 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”.
“A special thanks must also go to my manager Leanne McGoldrick – all of the work behind the scenes never went unnoticed and I’ll be forever appreciative of all your support.
“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.”
Guptill burst onto the international scene in 2009 when he became the first New Zealander to score a century on ODI debut, against the West Indies at Eden Park. The same year he was named in the ICC’s World ODI XI.
He became the first New Zealander to score an ODI double-century at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 when he smashed 237 not-out in the quarter-final win over the West Indies at Wellington Stadium.
That innings, along with his unbeaten 189 against England in Southampton in 2013, and his 180 not-out against South Africa at Hamilton in 2017, rank as three of New Zealand’s top four individual ODI scores.
Guptill also scored two T20I hundreds: 101 not out off 69 balls against South Africa at East London’s Buffalo Park in 2012, and 105 off 54 balls against Australia six years later in Auckland.
He played 47 Tests for New Zealand, scoring 17 half-centuries and three hundreds: 189 v Bangladesh at Seddon Park in 2010, 109 v Zimbabwe at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club ground in 2011, and 156 v Sri Lanka in Dunedin in 2015.