India's offcials Nitin Menon and Javagal Srinath Opt Out of Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan

Indian umpire Nitin Menon and former cricketer turned match referee Javagal Srinath will not be part of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, set to begin in Pakistan on February 19. Menon, the only Indian umpire in the ICC Elite Panel, has been out for "personal reasons," while Srinath has taken a break after months of travel.

According to the Times of India, Menon said his inability to travel to Pakistan due to personal reasons. Additionally, given the ICC’s requirement for neutral umpires, he would not have been assigned to officiate in India’s matches in Dubai. Finally, he has been left out of the tournament’s officiating panel.

Srinath, currently in Nagpur preparing for the upcoming India-England ODI on Thursday, confirmed that he had asked the ICC for leave. “I had quite a few days away from home in November, December, and January, so I decided to take a break,” he told Times of India.

Despite their absence, the tournament will see the presence of all three members of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, and Andrew Pycroft ensuring a strong officiating team for the event.

The umpires for the 2025 Champions Trophy are Richard Kettleborough, Richard Illingworth, Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Kettleborough, Paul Reiffel, and Rod Tucker.

The ICC Champions Trophy will be played without senior umpires Nitin Menon and Javagal Srinath.

Sean Easey, ICC Senior Manager-Umpires and Referees said, “We are pleased to announce our panel of match officials for the upcoming Champions Trophy. This is a credentialled officiating team whose expertise will be valuable in this high-profile tournament”.

“We always try to name the most suitable and deserving officials for any event, and we are confident this group will do a fine job across the matches in Pakistan and the UAE. I wish them all the best and hope they have a memorable tournament,” he added.

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