The indefatigable Suzie Bates, who featured for New Zealand national women’s team in the final match of Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday (October 20), achieved a remarkable feat of becoming the most capped player in women’s cricket. The veteran cricketer at the age of 37 went on to shatter the record of the former Indian woman cricketer and captain, Mithali Raj. Mithali during her span of active sports for 23 years played a total of 333 matches with the Indian team. In contrast, the final of Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 was Bates’ 334th international appearance in the White Ferns uniform.
Bates has also played 163 ODI’s and 171 T20I’s games yet for New Zealand team from the time she made her debut against India in the ODI match in Lincoln on 4th March, 2024.
Bates has the record for the highest score in all women’s T20I’s. She has scored 4584 runs in 168 innings. She is currently New Zealand women’s all-time leading ODI runs record holder with 5178 runs to her name and ranks third overall.
As much as her prowess in batting has been appreciated, when it comes to bowling, Bates has equally shown her capabilities as she has taken 78 and 59 wickets in ODIs and T20Is respectively.
At the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, the 37 years and 35 days old cricketer played six matches for Sophie Devine’s team and scored 150 runs in the process. She ended the competition also finishing as the joint top-scorer for the White Ferns and took a wicket during the second semifinal match against West Indies played in Sharjah on October 18.
Coming in next in the list of players with most appearances in women’s cricket are Bates and Mithali, after which comes Australian all-rounder, the iconic, Ellyse Perry, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and English cricketer Charlotte Edwards.
334* – Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
333 – Mithali Raj (India)
322: Ellyse Perry (Australia)
316 – Harmanpreet Kaur (India)
309 – Charlotte Edwards (England)
Also, at the age of 37 years and 34 days, she became the eldest cricketer to have won the title in Women’s T20 World Cup history. In the final, New Zealand thrashed South Africa by 32 runs in order to become the fourth team ever to be crowned Women’s T20 World Cup champions.
