Amelia Kerr has been named the captain of New Zealand’s Cricket team in all formats, taking over from Sophie Devine, who retired from ODIs after the 2025 World Cup and stepped down from T20I leadership. Kerr’s first series as captain will be a home ODI and T20I series against Zimbabwe this month.
At 25 years old, Kerr has played 84 ODIs and 88 T20Is since her International debut in 2016. She has scored 2,304 runs in ODIs with an average of 41.14 and taken 106 wickets at an average of 30.61. In T20Is, she has made 1,453 runs with a strike rate of 109.74 and captured 95 wickets while maintaining an economy rate of 6.09. Kerr has also led Wellington Blaze to back-to-back Super Smash titles in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
“The captaincy doesn’t change who I am. I will give everything to lead this group and aim for our country’s success. One of my favorite quotes is: ‘He aha te mea nui o te ao? He Tāngata, He Tāngata, He Tāngata. We are people first. We support each other, celebrate successes, and represent our people. It’s about encouraging one another and building belief so we can all excel as individuals and cricketers,” Kerr said in a statement, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer highlighted Amelia Kerr’s significance to the team and praised her leadership skills. He expressed confidence in her ability to lead across formats. The New Zealand squads for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe will be announced on February 20, with the T20I matches starting on February 25 in Hamilton.
“Melie has been an essential member of the squad for years and understands what it means to be a White Fern and represent New Zealand. She’s not just an outstanding leader on the field but has respect from the team off it as well,” Sawyer said.
“She knows the game well and has strong leadership experience, having captained the White Ferns and led the Wellington Blaze for the past three years. We believe that leading the White Ferns will elevate Melie’s game and she is ready to take this team forward. Her leadership at this point in her career provides continuity and stability through the next cycle to 2029,” he added.
