At the age of 38, Martin Guptill, one of New Zealand's best cricket players, has formally declared his retirement from international cricket. Guptill played 367 games for the Blackcpas in all forms throughout his illustrious 14-year career (2009–2022), setting multiple records in white-ball cricket and scoring 23 international hundreds.
Guptill, who scored 3,531 runs in 122 games, leaves as New Zealand's top T20I run scorer. With 7,346 runs in ODIs, he is third on New Zealand's all-time record, after Stephen Fleming and Ross Taylor. Guptill made a memorable debut in 2009 when NZ defeated the West Indies at Eden Park and he became the first player from New Zealand to strike a century in his maiden ODI. He was also selected for the ICC's World ODI XI later that year.
Martin Guptill's astonishing career
His record-breaking 237 not out in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup quarterfinal against the West Indies in Wellington—the greatest individual score in a World Cup match and New Zealand's first ODI double-century—is the most memorable of Guptill's career. His 189 not out against England in 2013 and 180 not out against South Africa in 2017 are some other astonishing knocks from the Kiwi great. These knocks are also among the Blackcaps' top-four ODI scores.
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Two of Guptill's T20I hundreds stand out: a magnificent 105 off 54 balls against Australia in Auckland in 2018 and a scorching 101 not out off 69 balls against South Africa in East London in 2012. Despite being more known for his white-ball exploits, Guptill made a substantial contribution to Test cricket by amassing 2,586 runs in 47 games. A career-high 189 against Bangladesh in 2010, 109 against Zimbabwe in 2011, and 156 against Sri Lanka in 2015 are among his three Test hundreds.
Guptill on his retirement
Guptill stated that playing for the Blackcaps was his childhood dream and that he felt immensely fortunate and happy to have represented his country in 367 games. The 38-year-old continued by expressing gratitude to his coaches and teammates throughout the years. In addition, Guptill acknowledged the cricket supporters in New Zealand and his family.
"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. 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," said Guptill.
"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," he added.
Martin Guptill last played a match for New Zealand back in October 2022.