NZ batter Martin Guptill retires from international cricket
Auckland, Jan 8: New Zealand batter Martin Guptill on Wednesday announced his retirement from international cricket, though the 38-year-old will continue to play in the T20 leagues around the world.
Currently, Guptill, who last played for New Zealand in 2022, is leading the Auckland Aces in this season's Super Smash.
"As a young kid it was always my dream to play for New Zealand and I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have played 367 games for my country," Guptill said in a statement issued by the New Zealand Cricket.
"I will forever cherish the memories made wearing the silver fern alongside a great group of guys," he added.
Guptill has played 47 Tests but the white ball format was his calling card. He scored 7346 runs from 198 matches with 18 hundreds and 39 fifties.
The right-hander also appeared in 122 T20I for the Blackcaps, making 3531 runs with two hundreds and 20 fifties.
Guptill is the first Kiwi player to score a hundred on ODI debut and he also became the first New Zealander to score an ODI double-century during the ICC World Cup 2015 when he smashed 237 in the quarter-final win over the West Indies at Wellington.
New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham said Guptill was a true match winner.
"Firstly, I'd just like to congratulate Gup on a fantastic international career. I was fortunate to open the batting with him over many years and I often felt I had the best seat in the house to watch him go about his work.
"On his day Gup was world-class and his crisp ball striking and timing could take down the best bowling attacks in the world.
"His numbers speak for themselves, but it was the matches he helped us win that I'll remember, along with the way he set the standard in the field," said Latham.
Among the most memorable moment for him as a fielder was his stunning direct hit run-out of Mahendra Singh Dhoni during New Zealand's semifinal win over India at the 2019 World Cup in England.
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Future does not lie in war, but in Buddha: PM Modi
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Asserting that the world today listens to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that due to the country's heritage, it is able to tell the international community that the future does not lie in war but in Buddha.
Addressing the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Bhubaneswar, Modi said India is not only the mother of democracy, but democracy is a part of people's lives here.
He said the world today listens to India, which not only presents its own views strongly but also those of the Global South.
"Due to the strength of its heritage, India is able to tell the world that the future does not lie in war, but in Buddha (peace)," he said.
Modi said he has always considered the diaspora as India's ambassador to the countries they live in.
"We consider it our responsibility to help our diaspora during crisis situations no matter where they are," he said.
The PM said the diaspora played a major role in Independence in 1947, and sought their help to make India a developed country by 2047.
He said India is not only a young country but also a country of skilled youths.
"The government is trying to ensure that whenever Indian youths go abroad, they go with skills," Modi said, noting the demand for skilled workers across the world.
He said G20 meetings were organised in various parts of the country to give the world a first-hand experience of India's diversity.
"We don't need to learn diversity because our lives run through diversity," he added.
