Martin Guptill Retires After 13 Glorious Years In International Cricket
The legendary New Zealand batter Martin Guptill has announced his retirement from international cricket on January 8, Wednesday. He decided to call off his international career after a 13-year beautiful and memorable journey. He made his debut for New Zealand in an ODI against West Indies on January 10, 2009, and scored a century in Auckland with an unbeaten 122. He had taken part in a total of 367 games in his career (198 ODIs, 122 T20Is, 47 Tests), considered as a legend in the white-ball cricket.
The 38-year-old finishes as the highest T20I scorer for New Zealand with 3531 runs and the third-highest scorer in ODI format with 3531 runs. He has registered 23 centuries to his name in international cricket (18 ODIs, 3 Tests, 2 T20Is) and played his last match in an ODI against Australia on September 8, 2022.
Guptill was just not known for his strong batting style but for his powerful fielding too. The most famous fielding in his career remains to be the direct hit to run out MS Dhoni in the 2019 semi-final against India, which helped them to qualify for the final; this moment is still remembered by every cricket fan till now. However, they lost the final to Australia.
Guptill, when looking back on all the memories he made throughout the start of his career, thanked all his former teammates and coaches. He said,
"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."
Furthermore, he didn't forget to give credit to his wife and beautiful children for the immense support throughout his career. He said,
"To my wife Laura and our beautiful children Harley and Teddy—thank you. Thank you, Lara, for the sacrifices you have made for me and my 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."