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ICC Names Umpires for T20 World Cup 2026 Group Stage, Dharmasena in Opener

The International Cricket Council has announced the match officials for the group stage of the Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The opening match between Pakistan and the Netherlands will be officiated by Kumar Dharmasena and debutant Wayne Knights. Veteran umpire Rod Tucker, who holds the record for most T20 World Cup matches, will oversee several key fixtures including India's opener against the USA. The officials for the Super Eight and knockout stages will be confirmed at a later date.

Key Points: ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Match Officials Announced

  • 24 umpires & 6 referees appointed
  • Kumar Dharmasena to officiate opener
  • Rod Tucker holds record with 46 T20 WC matches
  • Officials for Super 8s to be named later
2 min read

ICC announces match officials for Men's T20 World Cup 2026 group stage

ICC confirms umpires & referees for T20 World Cup 2026 group stage. See who will officiate India-Pakistan, tournament opener, and key fixtures.

"A total of 24 on-field umpires and six match referees will oversee the opening phase - ICC"

Dubai, January 30

The International Cricket Council on Friday confirmed the appointments of match officials for the group stage of the Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which gets underway on February 7.

A total of 24 on-field umpires and six match referees will oversee the opening phase, with officials for the Super Eight and knockout rounds to be announced later, according to the ICC website.

The tournament opener between Pakistan and the Netherlands at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club will see Kumar Dharmasena and Wayne Knights stand as on-field umpires. Dharmasena, a member of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup-winning side, brings extensive experience with 37 T20 World Cup matches under his belt, including the finals in 2016 and 2022. Knights will make his T20 World Cup debut and will also mark his 50th T20 International as an on-field umpire.

In Kolkata, Nitin Menon and Sam Nogajski will officiate the Group C match between Scotland and the West Indies. Later that day in Mumbai, Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker will take charge of India's clash against the USA. Tucker, who holds the record for most T20 World Cup matches officiated with 46 appearances, is set to reach his 50th match during the tournament. He will also oversee fixtures including England vs Nepal, India vs Namibia, and South Africa vs UAE.

Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth, who stood together in the 2024 final, will reunite for the Group B match between Australia and Ireland on February 11. Illingworth will also join Dharmasena for the high-profile India-Pakistan group-stage clash in Colombo on February 15.

Match Officials at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 include Match Referees: Dean Cosker, David Gilbert, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft, Richie Richardson, Javagal Srinath.

Umpires include 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, Asif Yaqoob.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
The India-Pakistan match in Colombo with Dharmasena and Illingworth is a perfect choice. Both are very experienced and calm under pressure. Can't wait for that game!
A
Arjun K
Respectfully, I hope the ICC ensures consistency. Sometimes decisions in group stages vary a lot between different umpiring teams. The standard should be the same for all teams, big or small.
P
Priyanka N
Good mix of experienced and new faces. Knights making his debut is nice. But where are more Indian umpires in the elite panel? Only Nitin Menon is there from India in the on-field list. We need to develop more top-level officials.
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Vikram M
Rod Tucker reaching 50 T20 WC matches is a huge achievement! That's some dedication. Hope the DRS is used well and we don't have any major controversies this time. 🤞
D
David E
Interesting to see Javagal Srinath as a match referee. Great to have former fast bowlers in these roles. They understand the game from a player's perspective.

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