New Zealand cricket star Sophie Devine has made a significant announcement regarding her future in the sport, revealing that she will step down as captain of the White Ferns T20I side after the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The 34-year-old all-rounder, who has been a pivotal figure in New Zealand women’s cricket, will relinquish the T20I captaincy but will continue to lead the team in the ODI format. Devine, who has led the White Ferns since 2020, is making this move to lighten her workload and focus more on her individual game.

Sophie Devine’s record as captain

Devine’s leadership has been instrumental in New Zealand’s women’s cricket over the years. She has captained the White Ferns in 56 T20Is, securing 25 wins, suffering 28 losses, and experiencing one tied game. Devine first captained New Zealand in a few games during the 2014-15 season before taking full charge from Amy Satterthwaite in 2020.

Under her guidance, the White Ferns have consistently competed at the highest level, with Devine’s powerful batting and bowling making her a standout performer. She was also a key player in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team that won the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024.

Reason behind stepping away from T20I captaincy

Devine has decided to step down from the T20I captaincy to reduce her workload and allow herself to focus more on her playing role. She also sees this as an opportunity to mentor and nurture the next generation of leaders in the New Zealand women’s cricket team.

By stepping away from T20I captaincy, she hopes to strike a balance between her responsibilities as a player and leader, allowing her to continue contributing to the team while also fostering leadership development.

“I’m very proud to have had the privilege to captain the White Ferns in both formats. With captaincy comes an additional workload that, while I’ve enjoyed taking on, can also be challenging at times,” said Devine as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“Stepping away from the T20 captaincy will take a bit off my plate so I can focus more of my energy on my playing role and nurturing the future leaders,” she added.

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Devine’s Stance on ODI Leadership

Despite stepping down from the T20I captaincy, Devine has made it clear that she has no intention of giving up the ODI captaincy just yet. She emphasized her desire to continue leading the team in the 50-over format, while acknowledging that her tenure as captain will not last forever.

However, she sees her decision to step down from T20I leadership as a gradual transition that will give future leaders time to grow into their roles, ensuring a smooth succession plan for the White Ferns.

“I’m not ready to give up ODI captaincy just yet. But I won’t be around forever, so I think stepping away from captaining one format at a time gives the next leaders time to find their feet,” Devine added.

Fans’ expectations for the Women’s T20I World Cup

With Devine set to step down as captain after the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, fans will be eagerly watching her final campaign as the leader of the T20I side. Devine’s experience and all-round abilities will be crucial to New Zealand’s success in the tournament. As the White Ferns prepare for their World Cup journey, supporters will be hoping that Devine can lead the team to a strong showing, potentially ending her T20I captaincy tenure on a high note.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

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