The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the full list of match officials who will officiate at the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Friday, January 30. A total of 24 officials have been appointed as on-field umpires, with six serving as match officials during the group stage of the tournament, bringing with them a wealth of international experience. The ICC has confirmed that officials for the Super Eight and knockout stages will be named at a later date.
Javagal Srinath and Nitin Menon are the only two Indians in the 30-member list. Kumar Dharmasena and Wayne Knights were appointed as on-field umpires the opening match of the tournament between Pakistan and the Netherlands to be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo. The fixture will mark the Knights’ first appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as Dharmasena continues to add to his extensive experience at global events.
A member of Sri Lanka’s 1996 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup squad that won 37 matches at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the finals in 2016 and 2022. This places him fourth in the all-time list for most matches played in the history of the competition.
Knights will also reach a significant milestone during the Group A encounter as it will be his 50th T20 International match as an on-field umpire. On the opening day in Kolkata, Nitin Menon and Sam Nogajski will be in charge of the Group C match between Scotland and West Indies. Menon was part of the on-field umpiring panel for the first semi-final of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup between Afghanistan and South Africa, while Nogajski officiated four group stage matches in the previous edition of the tournament, including India’s clash with the USA.
India are scheduled to face USA later on February 7 in Mumbai, with Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker appointed as on-field umpires for the encounter. Tucker currently leads the list of officials for the most matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, having appeared in 46 matches so far, and is set to reach the milestone of 50 appearances during the tournament. The Australian will also represent several high-profile matches, including England against Nepal, India against Namibia and South Africa against the United Arab Emirates.
Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth, who officiated together in the 2024 final, will reunite for the Group B match between Australia and Ireland on February 11. Illingworth will also take the field alongside Dharmasena in the much-anticipated group stage clash between India and Pakistan in Colombo on February 15.
Match Officials for the 2026 ICC Men’s Under-20 World Cup
Match referee:
Dean Cosker, David Gilbert, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft, Richie Richardson, Javagal Srinath.
Referee:
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 Iffel, Langne Shahide, Paul Reifer, Sharhide, Paul Reifer Gazi Sohel, Rod Tucker, Alex Wharf, Raveendra Wimalasiri, Asif Yaqoob.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
January 30, 2026
