New Zealand batter Martin Guptill retires from international cricket

Martin Guptill has announced his retirement from international cricket, with his final appearance for New Zealand in October 2022. At the age of 38, Guptill will still play in T20 leagues globally.

Guptill is currently in action for Auckland in the Super Smash, New Zealand's domestic T20 tournament. He has also registered for the PSL draft, with Islamabad United holding the option to retain his services.

Guptill ends his international career as a distinguished white-ball player for New Zealand, amassing a total of 7,346 runs across 198 One Day Internationals (ODIs). He ranks behind only Ross Taylor (8,607) and Stephen Fleming (8,007) in terms of runs scored in this format for the Black Caps. In T20 International cricket, he remains New Zealand's leading run-scorer, having accumulated 3,531 runs in 122 matches, with an average of 31.81 and a strike rate of 135.70.

Guptill played in 47 Test matches between 2009 and 2016; however, his performance in this format was not as successful, scoring a total of 2,586 runs at an average of 29.38.

"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 said in an NZC statement. "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 team-mates 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.

"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 had made an immediate impact on his ODI debut in January 2009, when he clattered 122 not out off 135 balls against West Indies in Auckland. Fast forward six years to the 2015 ODI World Cup quarter-finals held on home soil, Guptill delivered a remarkable performance, amassing an unbeaten 237 runs off 163 balls against the same team. This score stands as the second highest individual score in ODI cricket, surpassed only by India's Rohit Sharma.

Guptill's remarkable batting performance at the beginning of the 2015 ODI World Cup, where he amassed an impressive total of 547 runs, was instrumental in New Zealand's progression to the final. Unfortunately, they were defeated by Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Four years later, Guptill found himself in a challenging position when New Zealand faced defeat in the 2019 ODI World Cup final against England at Lord's, despite not losing in the conventional sense. After being dismissed lbw for 19 runs off 18 deliveries during the regular match, he returned to the crease in the Super Over alongside Jimmy Neesham, only to be run out on the final ball, resulting in England claiming the championship based on boundary count.

It got to Guptill and his New Zealand team-mates. "Neesham batted very well, and for Guppy to be that man in the situation - I'd have backed him every day of the week," Taylor told the Cricket Monthly while recounting that nerve-wracking finish. "But, you know, Archer bowled very well and Roy did a good throw to Buttler. But at the same time, disappointed as a team, and disappointed for my team-mates and Guptill. But hopefully he's still proud of what he did in getting us there and doesn't put too much pressure on himself for that."

Although Guptill did not perform optimally with the bat during the 2019 ODI World Cup, he excelled in the field during the rain-affected semi-final against India. He executed a remarkable direct hit after sprinting in from deep square leg, successfully dismissing MS Dhoni just before he reached the crease. This pivotal run-out contributed to New Zealand's advancement to their second consecutive ODI World Cup final. Earlier in the tournament, during a league match against Australia, he had also made an outstanding catch at leg gully to remove Steven Smith from the game.

Guptill was a member of the New Zealand team that advanced to the T20 World Cup final held in Dubai in 2021. He was also included in the T20 World Cup squad for Australia in 2022; however, he did not participate in any matches as Finn Allen was chosen to play in his stead.

In November 2022, Guptill relinquished his central contract with New Zealand to pursue a freelance career. Subsequently, he has played in various leagues, including Australia's Big Bash League, the Pakistan Super League, the Caribbean Premier League, the UAE's ILT20, and the Nepal Premier League.

The celebration of 'Thank You Gup' day in Auckland last January transformed the Eden Park Outer Oval into the 'Martin Guptill Oval' for a Super Smash testimonial match, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a retirement party for Guptill.

He made a comeback for the 2024-25 Super Smash, commencing the season with performances of 31 runs from 23 balls and 60 runs from 35 balls for Auckland. Tom Latham, who observed Guptill's latest half-century from behind the stumps while playing for Canterbury and has also partnered with him as an opening batsman for New Zealand, honored the departing legend.

"On his day, Gup was world-class and his crisp ball-striking and timing could take down the best bowling attacks in the world,"  Tom Latham said. "His numbers speak for themselves, but it was the matches he helped us win that I'll remember, along with the way he set the standard in the field. I wish him all the best for what the future holds and hope to see him around a cricket ground soon."

Guptill's illustrious career with the Black Caps will be celebrated during the team's third One Day International match against Sri Lanka at Eden Park on January 11.

Cover Credits - ESPN