Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s star all-rounder and New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has opted for a break from cricket after receiving professional advice. Devine, who was playing for Wellington in the ongoing Super Smash, is set to miss the remainder of the domestic season and also the upcoming Women’s Premier League.
New Zealand Cricket issued a release stating that the decision on her future “will be announced in due course.” It added that the NZC, Cricket Wellington, and RCB have extended their support to Devine regarding her decision.
Liz Green, NZC’s head of women’s high-performance development, said, “Player well-being is paramount to us – it takes precedence over everything else.”
“Sophie’s had excellent support from the New Zealand Cricket Players Association and from our own high-performance unit staff, and everyone agrees this is the best option available. The most important thing for NZC is that Sophie has a decent break, receives good support and care, and is fit and well before returning to professional cricket,” she added.
Devine was part of the New Zealand Women’s T20 World Cup-winning team which defeated South Africa in the finale. After lifting the T20 World Cup, Devine has been busy. She played in the ODIs against India, featured for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL, and also in the ODI series against Australia in late 2024 in December.
In the WPL, Devine played in 10 matches and scored 136 runs while being effective with the ball too. She took six wickets in her campaign. RCB have not named a replacement as of yet. RCb ended their trophy drought with their women delivering a WPL title after beating Delhi Capitals in the final.
The next WPL is set to begin from February 14 onwards with RCB taking on Gujarat Giants in the first match at Vadodara International Cricket Stadium.
