Sophie Devine to relinquish T20I captaincy after T20 World Cup 2024

Sophie Devine. (Source -Getty Images)

Veteran New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine to step down as T20I captain after the upcoming T20 World Cup, slated to begin on October 3. The 34-year-old clarified that she has no intention of giving up the ODI captaincy and added that she will be available for selection in all three formats, particularly in T20Is.

Devine cited workload management as the primary reason behind her decision to step down. She has led the side in 56 T20Is, out of which, New Zealand have won 25 and one ended on level terms. In a statement, Devine confirmed the development and stated that it was her privilege to lead the team in both white-ball formats. She also talked about the importance of nurturing future leaders, which is also one of the reasons behind her stepping down.

“I’m very proud to have had the privilege to captain the White Ferns in both formats. With captaincy comes an additional workload that, while I’ve enjoyed taking on, can also be challenging at times. Stepping away from the T20 captaincy will take a bit off my plate so I can focus more of my energy on my playing role and nurturing the future leaders,” Devine said in a statement released by New Zealand Cricket.

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“I’m not ready to give up ODI captaincy just yet. But I won’t be around forever, so I think stepping away from captaining one format at a time gives the next leaders time to find their feet,” she added.

New Zealand will host Australia for a three-match T20I series, starting September 19. After that, they will play Bangladesh and South Africa as part of the warm-up matches ahead of the mega tournament. In the T20 World Cup, the Devine-led side will play India (October 4), Australia (October 8), Sri Lanka (October 12) and Pakistan (October 14). The top two teams will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be played on October 17 and 18, respectively. Dubai will host the final on October 20.