The ICC on Friday announced the match officials for the IND vs NZ T20 World Cup final, that is all set to take place on March 8 in Ahmedabad, at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Experienced umpire, England’s Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf will be the on-field umpires for the summit clash.
Richard Illingworth to officiate in yet another final
It is important to note that Illingworth is one of the best in the business, and had officiated in the 2023 World Cup final, the T20 World Cup 2024 final as well, and the men’s Champions Trophy 2025 final as well. Meanwhile, the same duo also officiated in the SA vs NZ semifinal as well, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
South Africa’s Allahuddien Paleker was named the third umpire, who officiated in six matches of the tournament. Another South African, Adrian Holdstock will be the fourth umpire, while Andy Pycroft will be the match referee.
On-field Umpires: Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf
Third Umpire: Allahuddien Paleker
Fourth Umpire: Adrian Holdstock
Match Referee: Andy Pycroft
Team India concerns before final
Meanwhile, despite reaching the final, there are a few concerns that remain for Team India. Their World no. 1 batter Abhishek Sharma, and world no. 1 bowler Varun Chakravarthy are misfiring in the business end. While Abhishek scored only 9 runs in the high-scoring semis, VC gave away a massive 64 runs in his four overs.
As a result, despite India scoring in excess of 250, they only won by seven runs in the end. In short, sixth bowling option is a concern, that needs to be addressed, before the final. On the other hand, the biggest threat for India from New Zealand will be the duo of Tim Seifert and Finn Allen. The duo have scored close to 500 runs together in the tournament, with the latter scoring 33-ball ton in the semis.
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