Unlucky Umpire Richard Kettleborough: An umpire who was unfortunate for Team India, whenever he came on the field the match was snatched.

New Delhi. India has reached the ICC T20 World Cup final. It will face the New Zealand team to win the title. This historic match is to be played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It is being called historic because whether India or New Zealand wins, a new record will be made. Team India will become the first team to win the trophy for the third time, while the Kiwi team will achieve the feat of winning it for the first time. Indian fans have heaved a sigh of relief because ICC did not choose the umpire for this match who is said to be unlucky for India.

English umpire Richard Cattlebrough has been unlucky for the Indian team so far in the knockout matches. ICC has not selected him for the final. Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharfe have been selected for field umpiring. Allahuddin Palekar will be the third umpire, fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock and match referee Andy Pycroft have been selected.

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final

Field umpires: Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharfe.
Third Umpire: Allahuddin Palekar.
Fourth umpire: Adrian Holdstock.
Match Referee: Andy Pycroft.

Unlucky umpire, India lost not out

Richard Cattlebrough has proved inauspicious for India for the last decade. It started with the 2014 T20 World Cup final when India lost against Sri Lanka. When he officiated in the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final, the Indian team lost against Australia. West Indies defeated India in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-finals and broke their dream of winning the trophy. Amazing things happened in the year 2017.

For the first time, the Indian team had to face defeat in the final from Pakistan in an ICC tournament. Pakistan won the final of Champions Trophy. The 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final in which India had to face defeat at the hands of New Zealand. In the year 2023, Indian fans got the biggest wound. Rohit Sharma’s team, which reached the finals after winning all the matches of the ODI World Cup, had to face defeat against Australia in Ahmedabad. The whole of India cried after this defeat. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid’s dream of winning the trophy at home was shattered.

Every time India enters an ICC knockout match, it seems as if fate has conspired to send Richard Kettleborough to oversee the match, and that too not in India’s favour. Indian fans, who are already worried, have been further troubled by the ICC’s decision to appoint Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough as on-field umpires in the World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Can anything be more disappointing than this? Kettleborough, who features frequently in such important matches, has proved unlucky for India over the last decade. Be it the 2014 T20 World Cup in which India lost to Sri Lanka, the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final in which Australia defeated India, the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final in which West Indies defeated India, the 2017 Champions Trophy final in which Pakistan defeated India, or the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final in which India lost to New Zealand – every time. Kettleborough was present there and India had to face defeat.