The ICC has announced an 18-member all-female officiating panel for the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup
Four Indian officials—GS Lakshmi, Janani N, Vrinda Rathi, and Gayathri Venugopalan—have been selected for the event
This expert group will oversee a record 33 fixtures across England and Wales from June 12 to July 5
Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Four Indians In ICC's All-Female Panel Of Match Officials
The ICC has named an 18-strong all-female panel, including four Indian officials, to oversee the 33 matches of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup in England and Wales
Summary
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced an 18-strong, all-female panel of match officials for the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup. This marks the third consecutive edition of the tournament to feature an exclusively female officiating group.
Four Indian officials have been selected for the tournament, which is scheduled to take place in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5. Candace La Borde, Gayathri Venugopalan, Kerrin Klaaste and Shathira Jakir Jesy slated to make their tournament debut.
Vrinda Rathi and Janani N are the other two Indians in the umpires' list.
"This panel of match officials for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 reflects the ICC's commitment to expanding the scope of representation to all facets of the sport," ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said in a press release.
"The ICC takes into consideration a comprehensive, holistic, and evidence-based account while assessing its sports officials and their decision-making performance," he added.
There are 14 umpires and four match referees who will be used across the 33 fixtures at the World Cup, with nine members of the match officials' team from the 2024 edition returning for the upcoming event.
The officiating panel is headlined by Australian umpire Claire Polosak, who remains the most experienced official in the group. Set to make her sixth appearance at the tournament, Polosak has already stood in 22 matches throughout her career, the highest tally of any umpire in the competition's history.
Meanwhile, umpires Kim Cotton and Jacquline Williams are also poised to hit a significant milestone; both are scheduled to officiate in their fifth T20 World Cup, having overseen 19 matches each on this global stage.
Together, these seasoned officials anchor an all-female panel of 14 umpires and four match referees tasked with maintaining elite standards across the tournament's 33 fixtures.
The match referees feature three returning officials -- Shandrr Fritz, Lakshmi and Michell Pereira -- who were also part of the 2024 edition. The group of four referees will be completed by Trudy Anderson from New Zealand.
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India will open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on June 14.
Panel of Match Officials
Umpires: Lauren Agenbag, Kim Cotton, Anna Harris, Shathira Jakir Jesy, Kerrin Klaaste, Candace La Borde, Janani N, Nimali Perera, Claire Polosak, Vrinda Rathi, Suzanne Redfern, Eloise Sheridan, Jacquline Williams, Gayathri Venugopalan.
Match Referees: Trudy Anderson, Shandré Fritz, GS Lakshmi, Michell Pereira.
Who are the Indian officials selected for the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup?
The four Indian officials selected are match referee GS Lakshmi and umpires Janani N, Vrinda Rathi, and Gayathri Venugopalan.
How many matches will the officiating panel supervise during the tournament?
The 18-member all-female officiating panel will oversee a record total of 33 fixtures throughout the tournament.
Is this the first time the ICC has used an all-female officiating panel?
No, the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup marks the third consecutive edition of the tournament to feature an exclusively female group of match officials.
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