From U19 Glory to IPL Umpire: Virat Kohli’s U19 Teammate Tanmay Srivastava Set To Officiate In Indian Premier League 2025
Tanmay Srivastava, a key member of India’s victorious U-19 squad in 2008, is set to make history in IPL 2025 as the first person to both play and umpire in the tournament. Srivastava, who was India’s top scorer in the 2008 U-19 World Cup final under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, will now officiate matches after completing his BCCI umpiring certification.
The former Uttar Pradesh opener played in the first two seasons of the IPL for Kings XI Punjab before retiring from professional cricket in 2020. With 4918 runs in 90 first-class matches, Srivastava had a respectable domestic career before transitioning into umpiring.
Srivastava revealed that he consciously chose umpiring over coaching after discussing career options with BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla. “I told Shukla sir that I wanted to do something else in cricket other than playing. He was a bit taken aback since I was still just 30. Then we discussed what the options could be,” he told TOI.
At 35, Srivastava has quickly established himself in the umpiring circuit. He completed his Level 2 umpiring course with the BCCI within two years, showing a strong commitment to mastering the role.
“I understood that was the best player I could be… I was nowhere close to playing the IPL. I had to decide if I wanted to prolong life as a player or have a longer successful second innings,” Srivastava added.
Before stepping into officiating, Srivastava was involved in talent scouting for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He also worked as a fielding coach for the U16 squad at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and assisted the Jammu and Kashmir state team.
As Srivastava steps onto the IPL stage once again, this time as an umpire, his journey highlights the diverse career paths available within cricket beyond playing. His experience as a former player may offer him a unique perspective while officiating in the world’s biggest T20 league.
Stay informed on all the , real-time updates, and follow all the important headlines in and on Zee News.