Ahmedabad, March 6 (IANS) England duo of Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf have been named as on-field umpires for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final, to be played between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

Illingworth will oversee his second successive T20 World Cup final, after having been on ground with Chris Gaffaney in the 2024 decider, where India beat South Africa by seven runs in Barbados. The appointment adds to Illingworth’s recent run of high-profile on-field umpiring assignments, including the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup final and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final.

Wharf, meanwhile, will be the umpire in his first senior World Cup final. The former England seamer previously officiated in the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup and the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup before joining the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires last year.

The pair were also in the middle for New Zealand’s nine-wicket semi-final victory over South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday. They will be supported by South Africa’s Allahuddien Paleker as the third umpire, while their England compatriot Adrian Holdstock is the fourth umpire, and Andy Pycroft would handle match referee duties.

Paleker, who joined the Elite Panel alongside Wharf in March 2025, has stood in six matches during this tournament. Top-ranked India are chasing their third Men’s T20 World Cup crown, and will face a mighty Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand in the highly-awaited title clash of the 20-team competition.

Suryakumar Yadav & Co are aiming to become the first to win back-to-back Men’s T20 World Cups and the first side to lift the glittering trophy on home soil. New Zealand, meanwhile, come on the back of Finn Allen’s record 33-ball century giving them a comprehensive win over South Africa in the semi-final in Kolkata and are aiming to capture their maiden Men’s T20 World Cup crown.

–IANS

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