Sophie Devine will relinquish her role as New Zealand’s T20I captain following the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE, though she will continue to lead the ODI team.
Having captained New Zealand in 56 T20Is, Devine will still play in the format but believes it’s the right moment to lighten her responsibilities and focus on mentoring future leaders. With the Women’s ODI World Cup scheduled for next year in India, she expressed pride in her tenure as captain across both formats but acknowledged the additional demands that come with the role.
Devine remarked that stepping down from the T20I captaincy will allow her to dedicate more energy to her playing role and to support the development of new leaders within the team. She stated that while she is not yet ready to give up the ODI captaincy, transitioning out of one leadership role at a time will provide a smoother path for the next generation.
Head coach Ben Sawyer praised Devine as a fearless leader whose experience and game knowledge have been invaluable, particularly as the team has integrated several young players over the past two years. Sawyer fully supported Devine’s decision, recognising the difficulty of the choice but confident that she will remain a key leader within the squad.
Devine is currently recovering from a foot injury as she prepares for New Zealand’s three-match T20I series in Australia next month, which will serve as a lead-up to the World Cup. The New Zealand squad will be announced on September 10.
No decision has been made yet on who will succeed Devine as T20I captain, with the next series in the format scheduled for March against Sri Lanka.