Colombo, Jan 30 (.) As many as 24 on-field umpires and six match referees have been appointed for the group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the International Cricket Council announced, with officials for the Super Eight and knockout stages to be named later.
Experienced Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena and England’s Wayne Knights will officiate the opening match of the tournament between Pakistan and the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.
While it will be the Knights’ first appearance at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Dharmasena continues to add to his extensive record in the competition.
A member of Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning side, Dharmasena has officiated in 37 matches at the Men’s T20 World Cup, including the finals in 2016 and 2022, making him fourth on the all-time list for matches officiated in the tournament.
Knights will also reach a personal milestone during the Group A clash, marking his 50th T20 International as an on-field umpire.
On the opening day in Kolkata, Nitin Menon and Sam Nogajski will take charge of the Group C encounter between Scotland and the West Indies.
Menon was part of the on-field umpiring team for the first semi-final of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup between Afghanistan and South Africa, while Nogajski officiated four group matches at the previous edition, including India’s game against the USA.
India’s Group-stage match against the USA, scheduled to be played in Mumbai on February 7, will see Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker officiating as on-field umpires. Tucker, the most experienced official in the field for the tournament, has officiated in 46 matches at the Men’s T20 World Cup and is set to reach the 50-match milestone during the 2026 edition.
The Australian will also officiate key fixtures, including England versus Nepal, India against Namibia and South Africa versus the United Arab Emirates.
Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth, who stood together in the final of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, will reunite for the Group B match between Australia and Ireland on February 11. Illingworth will also officiate, alongside Dharmasena, in the high-profile group-stage clash between India and Pakistan in Colombo on February 15.
The six match referees appointed for the group stage are Dean Cosker, David Gilbert, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal Srinath.
The full list of umpires includes Roland Black, Chris Brown, Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Wayne Knights, Donovan Koch, Jayaraman Madanagopal, Nitin Menon, Sam Nogajski, K N Ananthapadmanabhan, Allahuddien Paleker, Ahsan Raza, Leslie Reifer, Paul Reiffel, Langton Rusere, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Gazi Sohel, Rod Tucker, Alex Wharf, Raveendra Wimalasiri and Asif Yaqoob.
. VAN PRS