NEW DELHI: Former Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary, who has officiated across international cricket as well as the IPL, spoke exclusively with Sports Yaari.
During the conversation, Chaudhary opened up on several topics - from Shubman Gill's Test captaincy to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's ODI retirement and the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.
On Asia Cup squad selection
The omission of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025 has sparked debate. Sharing his thoughts on the matter, Chaudhary said:
"Selectors always look at current form, as well as performances in the most recent T20 series. But fans often tend to mix formats and series while making judgments. In my opinion, this is the best possible team and a strong one."
On Gill's Test captaincy
"It was a completely new team, and everyone performed really well. I always say that playing a series in England is never easy. Gill looks like a good captain in the making. His batting was excellent, and it didn't seem like the pressure of captaincy was affecting him. He also has age on his side, so India has got a very promising captain."
Anil Chaudhary's illustrious umpiring career
Chaudhary's umpiring journey has been both long and distinguished. He has officiated in 12 Tests, 49 ODIs, 64 T20 internationals, and 131 IPL matches - making him one of the four most experienced Indian umpires in history.
Interestingly, his career began and ended with matches between India and Australia. He has also expressed pride in having umpired five Ranji Trophy finals and the 2022 Asia Cup final.
On his association with CLT10
It's a different experience, and I had never officiated in a tennis ball match before. The way Ross Taylor batted was amazing, smashing six sixes in one over. If you adjust, you can play this format as well.
This is a new trend in India - many people are starting to play it, especially in the corporate world. Ultimately, it's just another shape of cricket, and it feels good, we're enjoying it. You can see the energy and excitement, even celebrities are playing. In a way, it also helps with fitness."
