The world of cricket is surrounded by experts in all areas of the game. As much as the news of a player’s retirement garners attention, notable umpires also manage to grab the headlines when they draw the curtains on their professional life.
Anil Chaudhary, a veteran umpire, has announced his retirement from both international cricket and the Indian Premier League. He will not be officiating anymore in the upcoming IPL 2025 tournament.
During his tenure, from 2013 to 2025, Chaudhary umpired in 12 Tests, 49 ODIs, 64 T20Is, 131 IPL matches, 91 first-class matches, 114 List A games, and 278 T20s.
The recently held Ranji Trophy final between Vidarbha and Kerala, held in Nagpur from February 26 to March 2 was Chaudhary’s penultimate BCCI-affiliated game. His last international match as an umpire was the India – Australia One-Day International on September 27 in 2023.
Interestingly, Chaudhary made his international debut on October 10, 2013, in a T20I encounter between archrivals India and Australia.
Contrary to popular belief, Choudhary has not explicitly retired at the age of 60 but has transitioned from umpiring into commentary. In fact, he has set a new feat. by becoming the first Indian umpire to transition full-time to commentary after officiating in international matches.
“I’ve transformed into a commentator now. It’s a bit out of the box for me, broadcasting. For the last six months, I’ve been behind the mike. I commentated during the Champions Trophy in March, though I took a ‘break’ during that time for umpiring in the Ranji Trophy final.
I’ve received very good feedback about my umpiring. The viewers feel that I give a different perspective since an umpire’s perspective is completely different. People feel that I say interesting things on TV commentary,” Chaudhary was quoted sharing in a TOI interview.
Touted as one of the most experienced umpires in IPL history, Anil Chaudhary has showcased his skill in 131 matches as an on-field umpire, 21 matches as a fourth umpire, and in 74 matches as a TV umpire. His statistical record speaks volumes of the caliber and vast experience he possesses as a stalwart of the game.
Chaudhary is the only Indian to officiate in the 2022 Asia Cup T20 final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka; and the only one to have officiated in five Ranji Trophy finals.
“I’m going to umpire in T20 leagues in UAE and the US now. So, I’ll play a dual role as an umpire and as a commentator. I’m also launching a YouTube channel called ‘Umpire’s Call by Anil Chaudhary,’ and I’m forming a company, which will be called ‘Voice & Verdict’ in which I’ll train the umpires,” he also mentioned.
In other news, looking at the need of the hour and preparing for the future of Indian cricket, the BCCI has introduced seven new India umpires for IPL-2025. These big matches will provide an exposure to high pressure games and prove to be beneficial for the upcoming lot of umpires.
Veteran umpires S Ravi and S Ravi will act as mentors for Swaroopanand Kannur, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Parashar Joshi, Anish Sahastrabuddhe, Keyur Kelkar, Koushik Gandhi, and Abhijeet Bengeri in the IPL 2025 season.
By: Tulika Agarwal
