Thu Feb 06 04:26:00 UTC 2025: ## No Indian Match Officials for Champions Trophy 2025 Due to Personal Reasons

**Karachi, Pakistan –** The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the list of match officials for the Champions Trophy 2025, notably absent are any Indian officials. The tournament, running from February 19th to March 9th across Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in Pakistan (with India’s matches held in Dubai), will feature 15 officials: three match referees and 12 umpires.

While Javagal Srinath, the only Indian on the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, requested leave, Nitin Menon, the sole Indian on the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, declined to travel to Pakistan due to personal reasons, according to a BCCI source. The ICC’s policy of appointing neutral umpires for matches involving India meant Menon’s absence wouldn’t have affected matches held in Dubai.

The appointed match referees are Australian legend David Boon, Sri Lankan great Ranjan Madugalle, and Zimbabwe’s Andrew Pycroft—all veterans of previous Champions Trophy tournaments. The umpire panel includes several officials with experience from the 2017 edition, including Richard Kettleborough, who officiated the final. Kumar Dharmasena will be officiating his record-breaking 132nd ODI.

The full list of umpires includes Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Rodney Tucker, Alex Wharf, and Joel Wilson.

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