Famend match referee Ranjan Madugalle (second from left) appears to be like on forward of the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup match between New Zealand and Eire on the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on November 4, 2022. — ICC
The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday introduced the match officers for the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026 group stage matches, because the event is scheduled to start on February 7 in India.
A complete of 24 officers have been appointed as on-field umpires, whereas six will function match referees throughout the group stage. Officers for the Tremendous Eight and knockout levels might be confirmed at a later date.
For the event opener between Pakistan and the Netherlands on the Sinhalese Sports activities Membership floor in Colombo, Kumar Dharmasena and Wayne Knights will function on-field umpires.
The match will mark the Knights’ first look at a Males’s T20 World Cup, whereas Dharmasena continues to construct on his in depth event expertise.
Dharmasena, a member of Sri Lanka’s 1996 Males’s Cricket World Cup-winning workforce, has officiated in 37 matches on the Males’s T20 World Cup, together with the finals in 2016 and 2022, rating him fourth on the all-time record for matches officiated within the competitors.
Knights, in the meantime, will attain a milestone, standing in his fiftieth T20 Worldwide throughout the Group A conflict.
On the opening day in Kolkata, Nitin Menon and Sam Nogajski will officiate the Group C encounter between Scotland and the West Indies.
Menon was a part of the on-field umpiring workforce for the primary semi-final of the 2024 Males’s T20 World Cup between Afghanistan and South Africa, whereas Nogajski officiated 4 group matches on the earlier version, together with India’s sport towards the USA.
In a while 7 February, India will face the USA, with Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker appointed as on-field umpires.
Tucker, who leads the record of officers with probably the most ICC Males’s T20 World Cup appearances at 46, is ready to succeed in his fiftieth match throughout the event.
The Australian umpire may also oversee matches together with England and Nepal, India and Namibia and South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth, who officiated collectively within the 2024 closing, will reunite for the Group B conflict between Australia and Eire on 11 February.
Illingworth may also stand alongside Dharmasena for the high-profile group-stage match between India and Pakistan in Colombo on 15 February.
Match Officers for the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026
Match Referees:
Dean Cosker, David Gilbert, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal Srinath.
Umpires:
Roland Black, Chris Brown, Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Wayne Knights, Donovan Koch, Jayaraman Madanagopal, Nitin Menon, Sam Nogajski, KNA Padmanabhan, Allahuddien Paleker, Ahsan Raza, Leslie Reifer, Paul Reiffel, Langton Rusere, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Gazi Sohel, Rod Tucker, Alex Wharf, Raveendra Wimalasiri and Asif Yaqoob.
