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The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is just around the corner with the opening match scheduled between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on February 14. However, right before RCB starts their new campaign as defending champions, ace all-rounder Sophie Devine has decided to take a break from cricket.
A major blow to RCB’s hopes of defending the title
Devine was an important part of the RCB squad during the 2024 season in which she scored 136 runs and took 6 wickets in 10 matches for the franchise, thus playing an important role in RCB’s title-winning season. She is the second RCB player to pull out of the tournament even before the campaign kicks off. Earlier, Australian player Sophie Molineux’s WPL season came to an end due to a sustained injury.
Devine’s situation, however, is different. She has decided to miss WPL 2025 and taken a break from cricket after seeking professional advice. The New Zealand Cricket Board has fully backed her decision, revealing that a player’s health is of the utmost importance to them.
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“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,” Liz Green, head of New Zealand’s high-performance development said in a statement.
Devine will miss the remainder of her Super Smash 2024-25 season where she was representing Wellington and will also miss the entirety of the domestic cricket season along with the WPL. The 35-year-old’s future remains uncertain as a decision about her career will be taken in due course. New Zealand Cricket has also issued a press release announcing her termination from the remainder of the cricketing season. Additionally, it was also revealed that NZC, Cricket Wellington and RCB have extended their support to Devine regarding her decision.
