Martin Guptill

New Zealand cricketer

Martin James Guptill (born 30 September 1986) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played as an opening batsman in all formats of the game but pre dominantly in limited overs. Guptill is the first cricketer from New Zealand and the fifth overall to have scored a double century in a One Day International match and holds the current record for the highest individual score in Cricket World Cup matches and the second highest score in One Day Internationals of 237 not out. In March 2021, Guptill played in his 100th T20I match. He was also a part of the New Zealand squad to finish as runners up at the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Guptill has scored more than 600 T20I runs in the Eden Park cricket stadium. He is the first and the only player to score 500 and 600 plus T20I runs at a single venue.

Guptill was born in Auckland in 1986. He attended Kelston Primary and Kelston Boys' High School before transferring to Avondale College where he played cricket and was prefect. His wife is journalist and reporter Laura McGoldrick, whilst his cousin, Michael Guptill Bunce, has also played cricket for Auckland. Guptill has only two toes on his left foot. At the age of 13, he was involved in a forklift accident and lost three toes. He is nicknamed "Two Toes" within the New Zealand cricket squad. He studied at Kelston Boys High School for 4 years and on his final year of secondary school he switched to Avondale College.

In domestic cricket, Guptill plays for Auckland, and for Suburbs New Lynn in club cricket. He made his first class cricket debut in March 2006, scoring a four ball duck in his first innings, and 99 in his second. In 2011 Guptill played in English county cricket during the second half of the season for Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Guptill played for Mumbai Indians in the 2016 Indian Premier League as a replacement for the injured Lendl Simmons and for Kings XI Punjab in the 2017 Indian Premier League. In December 2018, he was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League. In July 2019, he was selected to play for the Edinburgh Rocks in the inaugural edition of the Euro T20 Slam cricket tournament. However, the following month the tournament was cancelled. He was released by the Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the 2020 IPL auction. In April 2021, he was signed by Karachi Kings to play in the rescheduled matches in the 2021 Pakistan Super League. In July 2022, he was signed by Kandy Falcons in 2022 Lanka Premier League. In October 2023, Guptill was named in Urbanrisers Hyderabad's squad in the 2nd edition of the Legends League Cricket.

Guptill first represented New Zealand in the Under 19 Cricket World Cup held in Sri Lanka in 2006. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut for New Zealand on 10 January 2009 against the West Indies in Auckland, becoming the first New Zealander to score a century on his one day debut – his score of 122 not out is the highest score on debut for New Zealand in an ODI, and second highest debut score ever in ODIs and he was the first New Zealander to carry the bat through a completed ODI innings. He made his Test cricket debut against India in the first Test at Hamilton in March 2009, scoring 14 and 48. For his performances in 2009, he was named in the World ODI XI by the ICC. For his performances in the 2011–12 season, he won the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal. He was awarded the T20 Player of the Year by NZC for the 2011–12 season. Guptill surpassed his best score in the 2015 World Cup, scoring an unbeaten 237 from 163 balls against West Indies in the quarter finals at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. He was the first player to score a double century in a knockout stage match as New Zealand scored 393, the then best total in a World Cup knockout match. After scoring three ducks in group matches he ended the tournament with 547 runs, emerging as the highest scorer. In May 2018, he was one of twenty players to be awarded a new contract for the 2018–19 season by New Zealand Cricket. In April 2019, he was named in New Zealand's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. In August 2021, Guptill was named in New Zealand's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. On 3 November 2021, in New Zealand's T20 World Cup match against Scotland, Guptill became the second batsman to score 3,000 runs in T20I cricket. In 2023 Guptil was drafted to the Trinbago Knight Riders squad for the annual Caribbean Premier League which he made his debut in 2013. He's played a total of 58 matches in the league for various squads and has garnered 1505 runs with a regular strike rate of over 110.

After being omitted from the squad for the India T20 series, Guptill released himself from his national contract, bringing to an end the veteran batsman's international career. On 26th November 2023, Guptill announced that he remained retired from international cricket. As of 18 December 2022, Guptill has scored 7346 runs in One Day International cricket.

as of 2019, Guptill has scored three Test, 16 ODI and two Twenty20 International centuries. In total he has made 14 first class, 24 List A and four Twenty20 centuries as of 2019. His century was the first by a New Zealander on their ODI debut. He went on to make the highest ODI score by a New Zealander at Southampton in June 2013, scoring 189 not out against England. At the time the score was the fifth highest in any ODI and equalled the highest individual score made against England, previously made by Sir Viv Richards. Guptil went on to set a new ODI record for New Zealand when he made the highest score of his career, 237 not out in the 2015 World Cup against West Indies at Wellington. The innings was the second highest scoring individual innings in ODI history and remains Guptill's highest score in any form of cricket. His other double century was made playing for Derbyshire in a 2015 County Championship match at Bristol. This is his only first class double century as of 2019.