After being retired from international cricket, former New Zealand opening batter Martin Guptill feels he had more to contribute to the national side and expressed “a little bit of disappointment with how it all ended.” The 38-year-old batter, who gave back his contract to pursue playing opportunities elsewhere in late 2022, officially confirmed his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday. He played 367 games (198 ODIs, 122 T20Is, 47 Tests) for the Black Caps, scoring 23 international centuries across the three formats.

He finished his 14-year international career (2009 to 2022) as New Zealand’s leading T20I run-scorer with 3,531 from 122 T20I matches, and his 7,346 ODI runs placed him third on the ODI list behind Ross Taylor and Stephen Fleming.

“I guess it is what it is, and the decisions that have been made around it. Obviously I would have loved to have played a lot more, I feel like I had a lot more to give New Zealand Cricket and the Black Caps. But it is what it is. I’m a little bit disappointed with how it all ended, but I’ve got to move forward and move on,” Guptill was quoted by New Zealand Herald.

Guptill burst onto the international scene in 2009 when he became the first New Zealander to score a century on ODI debut, against the West Indies at Eden Park. Moreover, he was the first New Zealander to score an ODI double-century at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, when he smashed 237 not out in the quarterfinal win over the West Indies at Wellington Stadium.

That innings, along with his unbeaten 189 against England in Southampton in 2013, and his 180 not out against South Africa at Hamilton in 2017, rank as three of New Zealand’s top four individual ODI scores.

Guptill also scored two T20I hundreds: 101 not out off 69 balls against South Africa at East London’s Buffalo Park in 2012 and 105 off 54 balls against Australia six years later in Auckland.

Guptill played 47 Tests for New Zealand, scoring 17 half-centuries and three hundreds: 189 v Bangladesh at Seddon Park in 2010, 109 v Zimbabwe at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club ground in 2011, and 156 v Sri Lanka in Dunedin in 2015.

His highest test score – 189 against Bangladesh – came while batting at no. 5 but Guptill preferred the challenge of opening the innings, which he saw as his best role.

“I had the opportunity to keep batting at five, but I wanted to go back to the top. I’ve got no regrets, I gave it a good shot. I had so much fun doing it. One of my proudest moments was to get a black cap, and that sits proudly at home,” he said.

His prowess in the field was regarded as world class and he consistently set the standard for the BlackCaps, resulting in many spectacular catches, saves and run outs. He famously ended the international career of India legend MS Dhoni with a runout at the 2019 World Cup semifinal.

Guptill is currently leading from the front for the Auckland Aces in Super Smash and will continue to ply his trade in T20 franchise cricket.

New Zealand opener Martin Guptill has confirmed his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a decorated 14-year career. Guptill, 38, has scored 23 international centuries across all three formats while playing 198 ODIs, 122 T20Is and 47 Tests for New Zealand. He last played for New Zealand in 2022 and now ends his international career as the side’s leading T20I run-scorer with 3,531 from 122 matches, the second-most appearances in the format for a player from the country. He also amassed 7,346 ODI runs, which places him third on the ODI run-scorers list behind Ross Taylor and Stephen Fleming.

“As a young kid it was always my dream to play for New Zealand and I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have played 367 games for my country. 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 team-mates 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.

“A special thanks must also go to my manager Leanne McGoldrick – all of the work behind the scenes never went unnoticed and I’ll be forever appreciative of all your support. To my wife Laura and our beautiful children Harley and Teddy – thank-you. Thank you Laura for the sacrifices you have made for me and our 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. Finally I’d like to thank all the cricket fans, here in NZ and around the world for all their support throughout the years,” said Guptill, who will continue to play in various T20 leagues, in a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement.

Guptill, who made his international debut in 2009, became the first New Zealand men’s batter to score an ODI double-century when he smashed 237 not-out in the 2015 ODI World Cup quarter-final win over the West Indies at Wellington Stadium. He also holds the record for having three of New Zealand’s top four individual ODI scores.

Apart from hitting a whopping 1,385 fours and 383 sixes during his international career, Guptill is also remembered for his stunning run-out of M.S. Dhoni during New Zealand’s semi-final win over India at the 2019 ODI World Cup in Manchester.

NZC said Guptill’s illustrious international career will be acknowledged during New Zealand’s third and final ODI against Sri Lanka at Eden Park in Auckland on January 11, a venue where he’s been the all-time leading run-scorer for the Blackcaps.

“I was fortunate to open the batting with him for the BLACKCAPS over many years and I often felt I had the best seat in the house to watch him go about his work. On his day Gup was world class and his crisp ball striking and timing could take down the best bowling attacks in the world.”

“His numbers speak for themselves, but it was the matches he helped us win that I’ll remember, along with the way he set the standard in the field. I wish him all the best for what the future holds and hope to see him around a cricket ground soon,” said New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham.

The biggest challenge for the New Zealand batters on their upcoming Test tour of India will be picking the turning ball and more so the odd one that skids through, reckons former Black Caps opener Martin Guptill. The finalists of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2019-21 cycle, India and New Zealand, will face off in three Tests to be played at Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai from October 16. “You feel like you can never score sometimes, that’s the hardest thing about coming here to India. The ball’s turning square, then the same sort of ball comes through and it skids on straight.

“You never know which one’s going to turn and which one’s going to go straight, so you have to always be thinking, you have to always be mentally on song and on (the top of) your game,” Guptill told PTI in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of Legends League Cricket.

Guptill highlighted importance of pressing on the advantage against India who have won their last 17 series at home.

“To try and get on top of India is extremely difficult. But when you feel like you are, you have to try and take that as long as possible in the game,” he said.

“It’s a tough place to play. It’s hot, sweaty and you feel like everything’s against you. But as I said, if you can get try and get on top of them and you feel like you are getting on top of them, you’ve got to try and go as deep as possible in the game,” added the former opener.

Given their current form, Guptill said it is tough to pick between Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah as the biggest threat for the Kiwis.

“Both of them. I mean, you can’t take away (the fact) that (Ravindra) Jadeja scored 86, 89 or something, wasn’t it? “(They had a) 199 run partnership, you think you’ve got India against the ropes and then you’ve got these two come out and bat.” Jadeja and Ashwin came to India’s rescue in the opening Test against Bangladesh in Chennai where the hosts were reduced to 144 for six on the first day, as their 199-run stand for the seventh wicket took the contest away from the Tigers.

“While Jadeja is probably the better batter, I mean, Ashwin goes about his work in a completely different way and is very effective in the way he scores his runs,” he said.

“So you never feel like you’re on top of India because they’ve got such depth, and then, obviously, you’ve got them as a partnership of the ball as well,” he said.

Guptill said young Kiwi pacer Will O Rourke’s extra pace, with which he troubled the Sri Lanka batters taking eight wickets in the Galle Test, is something that was missing from the current seam attack.

“I first faced him maybe three years ago and I was really, really impressed in how he bowled. For him to have developed further in the last couple of years and get his chance in Test cricket, man, he’s had a really good start,” he said.

“He’s got a little bit of extra pace behind him, which some of our bowlers don’t have and he’s got a bit of height, which gives him that little bit of extra bounce, which on our wickets at home helps a lot more than maybe what it does here in the subcontinent,” Guptill added.

While admitting that change is imminent for the Kiwis’ Test side, Guptill preferred to reserve his verdict on whether the younger generation of players is able to fill in the void left by the likes of Kane Williamson.

“I can’t comment on that at the moment. I mean, you don’t know until these new guys come through and start playing whether they’re up to it or not,” he said.

“Once Kane and the likes have finished playing and when these new guys come in, it’s going to take time for them I guess,” he said.