This cricketer ended MS Dhoni’s career, has World Cup record that Virat, Sachin could not match, announces retirement...

In the 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal against New Zealand, former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni came very close to making his crease, breaking the hearts of a billion Indian supporters at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester. Martin Guptill, the talented Black Caps opener, was the man who put a stop to Dhoni's incredible career.

Even though Guptill has only participated in 47 Test matches for New Zealand, the white-ball forms are where his genuine talent shines. In a 2015 ODI World Cup match against the West Indies, he made headlines with an amazing 237 not out. Even Indian greats like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar couldn't match that mark in any ICC event, let alone a World Cup.

Guptill recently announced his retirement from international cricket, expressing his dissatisfaction with the way his career ended. In 198 ODI matches, he amassed an outstanding 7,346 runs, including 18 hundreds and 39 fifties. With two hundreds and 20 fifties, he amassed 3,531 runs in 122 games in T20I matches, ranking seventh in the format's run-scoring rankings.

WHAT A MOMENT OF BRILLIANCE!

Martin Guptill was  to run out MS Dhoni and help send New Zealand to their second consecutive @cricketworldcup final! #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/i84pTIrYbk

— ICC (@ICC) July 10, 2019

After the board decided to concentrate on nurturing younger players, Guptill decided to leave his New Zealand Cricket contract and look for possibilities in international T20 tournaments. He last played for the Black Caps in 2022. Guptill pursued his passion for the game despite not being chosen for the 2023 World Cup in India, and two years later he announced his retirement.

Reflecting on his career, Guptill told The New Zealand Herald, “It is what it is, and the decisions that have been made around it. Obviously, I would have loved to have played a lot more. I feel like I had a lot more to give to New Zealand Cricket and the Blackcaps. I’m a little bit disappointed with how it all ended, but I’ve got to move forward and move on.”

There have been several noteworthy turning points in Martin Guptill's career. On his One Day International (ODI) debut, he became the first player from New Zealand to make a century. In addition, he garnered media attention when he scored a double century against the West Indies in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal. In the 2019 World Cup, Guptill's impact was felt once more as he was instrumental in the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni's run-out, which marked the end of Dhoni's incredible international career.

Speaking about his pride in representing New Zealand, Guptill said, “One of my proudest moments was earning the black cap, and that sits proudly at home.”

“I had the opportunity to keep batting at five, but I wanted to go back to the top. I’ve got no regrets; I gave it a good shot. I had so much fun doing it,” he said.

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