Four Indians named in Women's T20 WC match officials
London, May 28
Janani N, Vrinda Rathi and Gayathri Venugopalan have been named in the umpires panel for the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, while GS Lakshmi has been included as one of the four match referees for the mega event starting on June 12 in Birmingham.
The upcoming tournament marks the third consecutive edition of the Women's T20 World Cup featuring an all‑female panel of match officials - 14 umpires and four match referees overseeing 33 games in the 12-team competition.
Apart from Gayathri, Candace La Borde, Kerrin Klaaste and Shathira Jakir Jesy will make their ICC Women's T20 World Cup umpiring debut. "The increasing depth of high-performing female match officials in international cricket is a powerful marker of the sport's progress, with the consistently high standards demonstrated in bilateral series and previous ICC women's events underpinning these well-earned selections for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026," the ICC said in a statement on Friday.
Nine members from the 2024 edition return for the 2026 edition, with Australia's Claire Polosak set to stand in her sixth T20 World Cup, having officiated in 22 matches - the most by any umpire. Jacquline Williams and Kim Cotton, with 19 matches each, will reach the milestone of five T20 World Cups. Apart from Lakshmi, Shandré Fritz and Michell Pereira return, with Trudy Anderson of New Zealand joining in.
"This panel of match officials for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 reflects the ICC's commitment to expanding the scope of representation to all facets of the sport. The ICC takes into consideration a comprehensive, holistic, and evidence-based account while assessing its sports officials and their decision-making performance.
"We are delighted to see the progress made by these officials and the elevated standards of officiating they demonstrated during ICC CWC 2025. As we prepare to deliver what will be the biggest women's sporting event in the world, this selection will serve to elevate the meaning associated with the athletic spectacle," said ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta.
ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 Panel of Match Officials:-
Umpires: Lauren Agenbag, Kim Cotton, Anna Harris, Shathira Jakir Jesy, Kerrin Klaaste, Candace La Borde, Janani N, Nimali Perera, Claire Polosak, Vrinda Rathi, Suzanne Redfern, Eloise Sheridan, Jacquline Williams, and Gayathri Venugopalan
Match Referees: Trudy Anderson, Shandré Fritz, GS Lakshmi, and Michell Pereira
— IANS
Reader Comments
All-female panel for third consecutive edition... that's wonderful progress! But I hope similar attention is given to developing women umpires at the grassroots level in India too. Aapna khel, aapni shaan! 🙌
GS Lakshmi ji ka naam dekhake bahut garv hua! 🏏 Finally, women's cricket is getting the recognition it deserves in India. Hope this inspires more young girls to take up umpiring as a career.
Great to see diverse representation from India. Janani and Vrinda have been consistent in domestic and international circuits. This selection is well-deserved.
While I'm happy for the Indian officials, I wish the article mentioned how many women of color or from developing nations are in the panel. Representation matters beyond just numbers. Still, cheers to all! 🎉
Incredible achievement! The fact that Claire Polosak is officiating her 6th T20 World Cup shows the consistency of these women. Indian officials are right up there with the best. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
A small step for women in cricket, but a giant leap for gender equality in sports. Hope to see more Indian match referees in future editions too. Heartfelt congratulations
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