That is the second time that Breearne Illing – often known as Bree on the cricketing circuit – finds herself in India.
In 2022, she got here to Mumbai as a part of the New Zealand Ladies’s Growth Tour. Now, in 2025, she’s taking part in in her first World Cup, capping off a ‘whirlwind’ yr which additionally noticed her obtain maiden ODI and T20I caps, and an “sudden” central contract – all inside seven months.
“To get supplied my contract, which I wasn’t really anticipating in any respect, was simply superb — I couldn’t have considered something higher,” Illing advised Sportstar forward of the match in opposition to Bangladesh in Guwahati on Friday.
Within the ongoing 50-over showpiece, Illing has already snaffled a few wickets in opposition to Australia – together with its skipper Alyssa Healy – after the left-arm pacer had taken three scalps in opposition to India A and India within the warm-up matches.
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“My teammates are simply so supportive and caring. A lot of them have been continually checking in on me in opposition to Australia, ensuring I used to be all proper, if I used to be calm, feeling comfortable, or nervous. Leah [Tahuhu] has been superb. She and Sophie [Devine] have been on the drives, they usually talked to me about each ball, simply encouraging me to maintain going,” the 22-year-old stated.
Illing has the flexibility to deliver the ball into each proper and left-handers, and he or she believes the novelty issue works in her favour. “The angle throughout the batter (and the ball) coming again in and simply the truth that I’m a left-arm (pacer), it’s a special launch level that the batters are most likely not used to.”
Overcoming damage and maintaining a curious thoughts busy
However Illing hasn’t all the time had the smoothest of actions and struggled with accidents due to it.
When she was 13, Illing suffered a possible stress fracture on her again, derailing her cricket plans for a bit. She slowly returned to her run up, due to Martyn Sigley, a player-turned physio. “He’s been superb and helped me preserve my love for the game.”
However her brushes with damage continued. Illing was pressured to tug out of the 2023 Beneath-19 Ladies’s World Cup after sustaining a again pressure in the course of the tour of India a yr earlier than. Whereas Illing missed out on being a part of the crew which reached the semifinals of the inaugural version of the U-19 World Cup, she had lecturers to maintain her curious thoughts busy.
In the beginning of this yr, she graduated from the College of Auckland with a Bachelor’s in Science, majoring in Train and Biology. “In train science, simply studying rather a lot concerning the biomechanics and the way the physique works is what I utilized in cricket and whereas footage throughout coaching.”
“I like understanding how issues work and to me, the human physique and the way it works for sport could be very fascinating. With biology, I used to be genetics, vegetation, and animals and the way they work. Now, I’m doing forensic science which might be just a little bit extra fascinating than these two in order that’s thrilling,” Illing added.
Difficult situations
Previous to the World Cup, she performed her first three ODIs (in opposition to Sri Lanka) in dwelling situations. Illing has discovered pitches within the subcontinent drier and the humidity double of what she will get in Auckland, however she’s slowly determining the problem.
The White Ferns now play Bangladesh in a vital fixture after opening the marketing campaign with consecutive losses. “We’re taking quite a lot of learnings from the primary two video games and slowly placing items collectively. We’re simply on the lookout for that ultimate piece of the puzzle to essentially get us our first one on the board.”
Revealed on Oct 10, 2025