Australia’s Ranji Trophy umpire’s stay: Airplanes overhead in Palam, BKC’s red soil, love for garlic naan and vada pav

Umpire Ben Treloar watches as Harshal Patel shuffles. NEW DELHI: Last week, when umpire Ben Treloar stepped out to officiate the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Gujarat at the Palam Air Force II Ground, he grabbed everyone’s attention. Players on both sides were curious about the Australian umpire, with most turning to him on the opening day of the drawn game in which Delhi secured a first-innings lead and asking where he was from.“Quite a few players asked me where I was from and what was going on. They were really welcoming and interested,” Treloar told TimesofIndia.com from Mumbai.The 44-year-old from Sydney is in India for the first time as part of the 2026-27 umpire exchange program between Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). As part of the programme, Australian umpire Ben Treloar will officiate two Ranji Trophy matches in India, while Indian umpire Parashar Joshi will travel to Australia to officiate two Sheffield Shield matches and one One-Day Cup match.“It’s my first time in India and I’m really enjoying the experience. Everything is brand new and I’m experiencing it for the first time. At the end of the day it’s just another cricket but one of the differences is that I don’t know any of the players here and they don’t know me. We’re all meeting each other for the first time.”

Ben Treloar also works as the Umpire Education Officer at Cricket New South Wales, helping to develop the next generation of umpires. (Cricket Australia)

“The similarity is the high standard of cricket. The players are incredibly talented and the standard of first-class cricket here is very high. It’s similar in Australia (in the Sheffield Shield) where we also have gifted players who perform at their best,” he says.“Another similarity is the passion with which the game is played. Players here and back in Australia play for a living. They play hard, play fair and compete in the right spirit. It’s great to be in the middle and be a part of it and contribute to the game.”“The playing conditions are slightly different, especially the timing of the sessions. The first session here is two and a half hours because it is played a bit earlier, whereas in Australia the first session is two hours before the lunch break. The number of overs is also different. Here it is 90 overs a day compared to 96 in Australia,” he adds.

Palam was great. It’s obviously a smaller place and there’s not as much infrastructure around the country. Airplanes flew overhead, probably one every five minutes for four days

Ben Treloar

For Treloar, who has been refereeing for the past 21 years, the most unique experience at Palam has often been the planes flying overhead.“Palam was great. It’s obviously a smaller place and there’s not as much infrastructure around the ground. There were planes flying overhead, probably one every five minutes for four days. At the end of a match sometimes you don’t even realize a plane is coming because you get used to it,” he says.“But that doesn’t change what we’re doing in the middle. It’s another pitch, another first-class match and another opportunity to play some really good cricket. I noticed how passionate everyone at the match was about cricket and providing excellent hospitality. From the catering and ground staff to the players, team management and coaches, everyone was welcoming and it was a really good experience,” he adds.

Umpires Ben Treloar and Abhijeet Bengeri walk off the field at the tea break during the fourth day of the Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and Queensland at the WACA on November 14, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Getty Images)

Off the field, Treloar works as an umpire education officer at Cricket New South Wales, helping to develop the next generation of umpires. His contribution to umpiring education has been recognized with four George Borwick Memorial Awards from the New South Wales Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association.“I am very grateful to both the BCCI and Cricket Australia for maintaining such a strong and positive relationship. The way they support the football officials and provide them with these additional experiences is fantastic. We are very grateful for this opportunity and I was honored and proud to be offered the opportunity to come to India,” he says.He will next decide the third round match between Mumbai and Haryana at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai.

I ate a lot of vegetarian food and dal, the quality of the breads, including the roti and garlic butter naan, and the vegetable curry and vada pav were fantastic

Ben Treloar

“I had a quick look at the BKC pitch in Mumbai and it’s a much more established place. I’m really looking forward to getting there in a few days and experiencing a different type of pitch. This one has red clay so I imagine it will offer a little bit more. We’ll also spend some time watching the nets and getting a feel for the conditions ahead of the match,” he says of the BK pitch.Apart from cricket and the contrasting soil types (Delhi’s black soil and Mumbai’s red soil), Treloar enjoys Indian cuisine and its flavours. She also records recipes to take home for her family.“The food was incredible. It’s spicy, I have to tell you. I ask for fine food, but I really liked the cuisine in both Delhi and Mumbai. The food was of high quality, with so much flavor and I really enjoy it.”“I especially like the stuffed potatoes. I ate a lot of vegetarian food and dal, the quality of the bread, including roti and garlic butter naan, and the vegetable curry and vada pav, were all fantastic.”“When I get home, I’m looking forward to expanding my cooking skills. I’ll be cooking a lot more of these meals for my family,” she says.