New Zealand have confirmed that Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu will retire from international cricket following the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, joining Suzie Bates in stepping away after the tournament. The announcement came as New Zealand Cricket revealed their 15-player squad for the event in England.
Bates had earlier outlined her intention of “one final mission,” and the inclusion of Devine (36) and Tahuhu (35) in the retirement group signals the end of an era for the White Ferns.
Squad Blends Experience and New Faces
Led by Amelia Kerr, the squad features a strong core of players who were part of the title-winning campaign two years ago. Ten members from that side return, including Kerr, Bates, Devine, Tahuhu, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, and Georgia Plimmer.
There are also fresh additions, with Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, and Flora Devonshire set for their first T20 World Cup appearances after being part of the ODI World Cup last year.
Nensi Patel and Izzy Sharp have also been included. Patel, an offspin allrounder, made her T20I debut in February this year and has taken six wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 3.56. Sharp, a wicketkeeper-batter, has played 11 T20Is since debuting in March 2025.
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Focus on Final Campaign
Head coach Ben Sawyer highlighted the significance of the tournament for both the newcomers and the outgoing senior players.
“Any time you’re chosen to represent your country on the world stage it’s an honour, but World Cups hold an elevated level of importance, and I’m certain everyone can’t wait to get on the plane,” Sawyer said.
“It’s going to be an extra special time for Izzy and Nensi with it being their first World Cup. They’ve comfortably taken to international cricket this summer, and should both have confidence heading into this next challenge.”
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He also acknowledged the importance of the departing trio. “To have our three most senior players all finishing their careers at the same tournament is a rare and special occasion,” Sawyer said. “All three have had distinguished careers in their own right, and given so much to this team and the game in general. There’ll be a time at the end of the tournament to further acknowledge and celebrate the trio, and I know at present they’re very focussed on performing well in their final mission with the team.”
Preparation and Tournament Outlook
New Zealand head into the tournament in good form, having won seven of their last eight T20Is. They are scheduled to play a three-match T20I series against England in late May before the World Cup build-up begins on June 7.
“I believe we’ve landed on a well-balanced squad that features a mix of experience and exciting young talent,” Sawyer said. “We’ve worked really hard over the past 12 months to develop our batting depth in particular, which we’ve seen bear fruit in our recent home series against South Africa and Zimbabwe.”
“With the ball, our pace-bowling attack are competing hard for spots in the XI, which is a great place to be from a depth perspective.”
Group and Fixtures
New Zealand have been placed in Group 2 alongside England, Ireland, Scotland, Sri Lanka, and West Indies. They will play warm-up matches against Bangladesh and South Africa in Loughborough on June 6 and June 9, respectively.
Their World Cup campaign begins against West Indies in Hampshire on June 14.
New Zealand Squad
Amelia Kerr (capt), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis (wk), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Sharp (wk), Lea Tahuhu
