WATCH: Sophie Devine receives heartfelt guard of honour in emotional ODI farewell against England

New Delhi: New Zealand captain Sophie Devine walked off the field for the last time in ODIs on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable career that has spanned close to two decades. The 36-year-old played her 159th and final one-day international at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam, scoring 23 runs off 35 balls and picking up one wicket in what turned out to be an emotional farewell.

After England sealed a convincing win over New Zealand in their Women's World Cup 2025 league match, both teams lined up to give Devine a guard of honour as she made her way back to the pavilion. The moment captured the respect and admiration that she has earned in the years across the cricketing world. England players later presented her with a special jersey as a token of appreciation, marking the end of an era for one of New Zealand's finest all-rounders.

Devine had already announced that this World Cup would be her last ODI tournament. While the result didn't go Kiwi's way, the day belonged to her. Speaking after the match, Devine admitted it was emotional but she had made her peace with her decision. "Not to make it about myself but we wanted to go out on a high, that didn’t happen today. Credit to England. I actually didn’t cry as much as I thought I would,” she said with a smile.

Since making her debut against Australia in 2006, Devine has been one of the most consistent performances in women's cricket. She signed off her ODI journey with over 4,000 runs including nine centuries and 18 fifties. With the ball, she claimed 111 wickets often providing breakthroughs in tight moments. Her best bowling performance came in 2018 against the West Indies when she returned figures of 3 for 24.

Devine is also one of only three players in the history of women’s ODIs and the only one from New Zealand to achieve the double of 4,000-plus runs and 100-plus wickets. Beyond her numbers, she’s been the heartbeat of the White Ferns’ setup, leading them with both authority and empathy. Under her captaincy, New Zealand lifted their first-ever T20 World Cup title in the UAE which has cemented her legacy as a true leader for the coming generations.