ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Umpires, Match Referees for Tournament Announced, Nitin Menon Snubbed
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the match officials for the highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to begin on February 19 and run until March 9. A total of 12 officials will be overseeing the action during the tournament.
Among the officials, six umpires from the previous edition of the tournament are returning. Richard Kettleborough, who officiated the final of the 2017 edition, will be joined by Chris Gaffaney, Kumar Dharmasena, Richard Illingworth, Paul Reiffel, and Rod Tucker, all of whom also officiated during the 2017 Champions Trophy.
Complete Umpire List for ICC Champions Trophy 2025:
- Kumar Dharmasena
- Chris Gaffaney
- Michael Gough
- Adrian Holdstock
- Richard Illingworth
- Richard Kettleborough
- Ahsan Raza
- Paul Reiffel
- Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid
- Rodney Tucker
- Alex Wharf
- Joel Wilson
Alongside these umpires, the ICC has appointed experienced match referees. David Boon will lead the panel, joined by Ranjan Madugalle and Andrew Pycroft, both members of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. Boon had officiated the 2017 Champions Trophy final, while Madugalle returns after overseeing the 2013 final. Pycroft was also part of the 2017 tournament.
Match Referee List for ICC Champions Trophy 2025:
- David Boon
- Ranjan Madugalle
- Andrew Pycroft
One notable absentee from the panel is Indian umpire Nitin Menon, who withdrew his name due to personal reasons. According to BCCI sources, Menon opted out of the Champions Trophy duties in Pakistan.
“We always strive to appoint the most deserving officials for such prestigious events, and we are confident that this group will do an outstanding job,” said Sean Easey, ICC Senior Manager of Umpires and Referees. “Their collective expertise and experience will be invaluable in ensuring the tournament runs smoothly.”
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be held across four venues: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in Pakistan, and Dubai in the UAE. The opening match will see Pakistan face New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi.
This will be the first time the ICC Champions Trophy is played since the 2017 edition, where Pakistan finished as runners-up after a memorable win over India in the final.
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