18 Jun 2026First-class legend Bharat Popli has announced his retirement from domestic cricket, following a long and decorated career with Northern Districts.
Popli came from the Tauranga Boys College programme and represented ND at age-group level before debuting for ND during the 2013/14 season. He went on to play 82 first-class and 22 List A games, all for ND. He scored 5,428 first-class runs at an average of 40, and his trademark brand of consistency at the top order will be sorely missed.
For Popli, “playing for ND has meant a realisation of a childhood dream of becoming a professional cricketer” he said. “I'm extremely grateful for the support and care I have received from the people in the ND region starting from grassroots levels all the way to the professional set up.”
He is one of only five players to have scored over 1,000 runs in a domestic first-class season. The 1,149 runs Popli ticked up in the 2015/16 season saw him win NZ Cricket’s Domestic Player of the Year award. He was also the top run scorer in the Plunket Shield in the 2022/23 season with 819 runs.
Patience was rewarded in the 2024-25 season when ND took home the Plunket Shield for the first time for 13 years. Popli played a key role in the championship and got the opportunity to lift the Shield after the winner-take-all final match of the season. He describes it as “the highlight” of his career from an achievement point of view.
However, Popli said, “the biggest highlights have always been in the small moments - someone taking a screamer of a catch, taking the final wicket in the last over of the game, match winning scores to get the team over the line and just the fight that has been shown to the get the best out of each other.”
ND’s GM of Performance and Talent, Ian Sandbrook, said “Bharat has been an outstanding player for ND over a long period of time. As his stats show, Bharat was a quality player and his invaluable contributions as a mainstay of our batting line-up and quality slip catcher, will be missed by the whole group.”
Popli is a proud player for Bay of Plenty Cricket with an illustrious District Association record. In his 106 appearances for the Bay, he is the the top all-time run scorer for the Association, having amassed 4,528 runs. He has also scored the most centuries of any BOP representative player at 14.
Sandbrook highlighted Popli’s contributions on and off the pitch. “Above all the records and stats, Bharat is a great human and ultimate team man. He has contributed so much as a teammate and leader in our playing group, and I know I speak for the players and staff that he will be missed. We wish him all the best going forward and look forward to seeing him on the sidelines over the summer cheering on the team” he said.
Popli is looking forward to his next phase as an ND supporter. “I'll mostly miss sharing the shed with this group of guys. Being able to compete and toil away in the field for days is made so much more enjoyable and meaningful when you are able to share that with mates who have experienced that journey with you” he said. “I’m excited to watch the boys from the sideline now, hopefully with a lot less stress and a bit more appreciation for it all.”
