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New Zealand appoint Amelia Kerr as new captain across formats

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Amelia Kerr

Amelia Kerr (Source: White Ferns)

Rupesh Kumar

Rupesh Kumar

Published - 16 Feb 2026, 05:12 PM Read time - 2 mins

New Zealand have appointed star allrounder Amelia Kerr as their new captain across formats. Kerr, 25, replaces Sophie Devine, who relinquished the T20I captaincy after leading the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and retired from ODIs following the end of New Zealand's ODI World Cup 2025 campaign.

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Kerr has already had a taste of captaincy. She has a 50-50 win-loss record in T20Is, having won as many games as she has lost in the two matches she has led the side. She has yet to register a win in the ODI format, with two defeats in as many matches.

"The captaincy doesn't change who I am, I am still the same person and will give everything I can to lead this group and hopefully bring our country success," Kerr said in a statement released by New Zealand Cricket. "One of my favourite quotes is: 'He aha te mea nui o te ao? He Tāngata, He Tāngata, He Tāngata. We are people first. As a group we look out for each other, we celebrate each other's success and we represent our people.

"Encouraging others and building belief around us so we can all be the best we can be both as people and as cricketers."

New Zealand's head coach, Ben Sawyer, lauded Kerr for her leadership ability and believed that her elevation would stabilise the side moving forward.

"She has a sound understanding of the game and has strong leadership experience from the games she has captained the White Ferns [in] and her time leading the Wellington Blaze over the past three years.

"We believe leading the White Ferns can take Melie's game to the next level and know she's ready to step up and lead this team forward. Melie leading this team at this stage of her career ensures we have continuity and stability through the next cycle to 2029."

Kerr's first assignment as captain will be a white-ball series against Zimbabwe at home, involving three T20Is and as many ODIs, starting February 25 in Hamilton. 

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