New Zealand has unveiled their 15-member roster for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka. Former World Cup-winning captain Emily Drumm made the announcement in Auckland, announcing that Flora Devonshire, Polly Inglis, Bella James, and Bree Illing will participate in their first ODI World Cup. Notably, skipper Sophie Devine, who will play her fifth World Cup, plans to retire from ODIs following the competition.
The White Ferns, the incumbent T20 World Champions, are hoping to emulate their short-format success in the 50-over game. Since their last World Cup appearance in 2022, New Zealand has made some changes to their team, bringing in fresh talent through domestic events and New Zealand A tours.
New Zealand to depart for pre-tournament camp in the UAE
Meanwhile, Devonshire’s inclusion is one of the biggest talking points. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner, who impressed in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield with 18 wickets and over 250 runs, got the nod ahead of Fran Jonas. Sawyer spoke about the difficulty of leaving out Jonas but mentioned that Devonshire’s all-around ability and attacking mindset made her an ideal fit for Indian conditions.
Joining her are left-arm seamer Bree Illing, who bagged four wickets on her debut series against Sri Lanka, and followed it up with strong performances on the England ‘A’ tour. Furthermore, batter Bella James finished as New Zealand ‘A’s second-highest run-getter in England. Meanwhile, Polly Inglis is expected to add depth to the batting and a wicketkeeping backup to Izzy Gaze.
Captain Sophie Devine will be joined by stalwarts Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu, as well as Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr, who enter their third campaigns. Bates will look to extend her career by guiding the younger players.
The squad will depart for a pre-tournament camp in the UAE on September 13, featuring warm-up matches against England, before heading to India. Their World Cup opener is against arch-rivals Australia on October 1 in Indore.
India
