KOCHI: Sanju Samson won’t be part of the India vs Australia T20 international at the Greenfield Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday but there would be a local presence on the field. Former Kerala cricketer-turned umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan has been named as one of the two on-field umpires for the second T20 of the five-match series.
This would be Ananthapadmanabhan’s first game as an on-field umpire on his home ground. Though he was scheduled to officiate the India vs South Africa T20 at Greenfield Stadium last year, the Thiruvananthapuram native tested positive for Covid and was confined to a hotel room in Hyderabad.
“After what happened last time, I am finally hoping to officiate in front of my home crowd. The pressure would be the same for an umpire as any other international. But I am very excited and hope to have a good game,” said the 54-year-old, who resides in Maruthamkuzhy.
He was elevated as an ICC international panel umpire in August 2020 and made his on-field debut the following year in a T20 international between India and England in Ahmedabad. So far, Ananthapadmanabhan has stood in seven T20 internationals and 15 ODIs as an umpire.
JR Madanagopal will be sharing the on-field umpiring responsibility with Ananthapadmanabhan on Sunday. Besides the Thiruvananthapuram T20, Ananthapadmanabhan will also be the on-field umpire for the final two games of the series in Raipur and Bengaluru.
The former leg-spinner played for Kerala in 105 first-class matches and claimed 344 wickets.
