New Zealand captain Sophie Devine is set to miss the Women's Premier League Season 2 for Royal Challengers Bangalore to prioritize her "well-being."
New Zealand Cricket released a statement confirming that Devine is taking a break from domestic cricket after receiving "professional advice." As a result, she will miss the remainder of her Super Smash season with Wellington, as well as her 2025 Women's Premier League commitments with RCB. Devine recently featured in the Super Smash for Wellington, where she scored 38 runs and took eight wickets in five games. Her last appearance for Wellington was on Friday against Canterbury in Christchurch, where she delivered a match-winning performance with figures of 5/13. Liz Green, NZC's Head of Women's High-Performance Development, revealed that Devine was heading home and had her full support. "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," Green said in a statement by NZC. "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," Green added. Devine was part of RCB's title-winning campaign last season and was retained by the franchise for the upcoming edition. In the 2024 season, she scored 136 runs and picked up six wickets in ten matches. Since winning the Women's T20 World Cup with New Zealand last October, Devine has been a part of the White Ferns in ODIs against India. She also featured in the Women's Big Bash League for Perth Scorchers and played in the ODI series against Australia in December. (ANI)
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