Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and LeahTahuhu in their final T20I match(PC- ICC) When Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu announced that the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup would be their final assignment in New Zealand colours, it came as a surprise to many. While their retirements had always felt inevitable after careers spanning nearly two decades, the announcement still marked the end of an era for the White Ferns. Every successful team needs players who do more than score runs or take wickets.

It needs leaders who uphold standards, experienced heads who steady the dressing room during difficult times, and mentors who quietly shape the next generation. For nearly 20 years, Devine, Bates and Tahuhu were those figures for New Zealand. That sentiment was perhaps captured best by Amelia Kerr.

In a farewell message shared by the ICC, Kerr reflected on joining the White Ferns as a 16-year-old, saying the trio “showed me the importance of being a White Fern and what it meant to represent New Zealand.” Ten years later, she thanked them not only for the friendships they built, but for creating an environment that made younger players feel at home. “The scoreboard may stop counting your international careers,” she said, “but the impact you’ve had on this team will continue long after the final ball has been bowled.” Their legacy certainly stretches beyond numbers. But the numbers tell the story of three careers that helped define New Zealand women’s cricket.

Devine leaves as one of the greatest all-rounders the game has seen. Across 317 international appearances, she scored 8,066 runs and picked up 241 wickets, becoming one of only five women to complete the double of 5,000 international runs and 241 wickets. A fearless batter, reliable seamer and inspirational captain, Devine’s crowning achievement came in 2024 when she led the White Ferns to their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title.

If Devine was the team’s heartbeat, Bates was its constant. Across a record 370 international appearances, she amassed 10,740 international runs, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and the all-time leading run-scorer in Women’s T20Is. Her opening pairing with Devine became one of the most prolific in the women’s game, while her consistency across two decades made her one of New Zealand’s greatest-ever batters.

She has also taken 145 wickets throughout her career. Completing the trio was Tahuhu, New Zealand’s pace spearhead for well over a decade. She retires with 225 wickets across 207 international matches and retires as one of the White Ferns’ most consistent bowlers.

At her best, Tahuhu was among the quickest bowlers in women’s cricket, providing New Zealand with an attacking edge that few teams could match. Her career may have ended with England securing victory off a wide, but Tahuhu’s influence on the White Ferns will be remembered for far more than her final delivery. A shock group-stage exit meant New Zealand’s T20 World Cup defence ended in disappointment.

It was an ending that neither the team nor its three veterans would have imagined. Yet the absence of a fairy-tale finish does little to diminish careers that transformed New Zealand women’s cricket. Their legacy was never going to be measured by one tournament or one trophy.

*All stats have been taken from ESPNcricinfo* Followfor more updates. The post appeared first on .