However, two Bangladeshi umpires, Gazi Sohel and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat will officiate at the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
The ICC announced the match officials in a media release, confirming the inclusion of the two Bangladeshi umpires. Kumar Dharmasena and Wayne Knights will stand as on-field umpires in the opening match on February 7, when Pakistan face the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo.
Former Sri Lanka off-spinner Dharmasena was part of the 1996 World Cup-winning squad and has officiated 37 T20 World Cup matches, including the 2016 and 2022 finals. For New Zealander Knights, it will be his first men’s T20 World Cup assignment, marking his 50th T20I as an umpire.
In another opening-day fixture in Group C, Scotland’s match against the West Indies will be officiated by Nitin Menon and Sam Nogajski. Menon was part of the on-field umpiring team in the Afghanistan–South Africa semi-final at the 2024 World Cup, while Nogajski handled four group matches in that tournament, including India vs USA.
Rod Tucker holds the record for most T20 World Cup matches officiated, with 46 so far, and is set to reach the 50-match milestone during this tournament.
The Australian will officiate matches including England vs Nepal, India vs Namibia, and South Africa vs UAE. Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth, who worked together in the 2024 final, will reunite for Australia vs Ireland on February 11, while Illingworth will also officiate the high-profile India–Pakistan clash on February 15 alongside Dharmasena.
Overall, 24 officials will serve as on-field umpires during the group stage, with experienced names such as Richard Kettleborough, Ahsan Raza, Langton Rusere and Adrian Holdstock also included. The ICC will announce the officials for the Super Eight and knockout stages at a later date.
Match Officials at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Match Referees:
Dean Cosker, David Gilbert, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft, Richie Richardson, Javagal Srinath.
Umpires:
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 Reifer, Paul Reiffel, Langton Rusere, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Gazi Sohel, Rod Tucker, Alex Wharf, Raveendra Wimalasiri, Asif Yaqoob.
