Vrinda Rathi to Be First Indian Woman On-Field Umpire in Women’s T20 World Cup Final
The ICC’s choice highlights rising female representation among top match officials, with GS Lakshmi named match referee for the July 5 Lord’s final.
Overview
- The ICC has appointed Vrinda Rathi as an on-field umpire for the Women’s T20 World Cup final between England and Australia at Lord’s on Sunday, July 5.
- Rathi will share on-field duties with Jamaica’s Jacqueline Williams and GS Lakshmi will serve as match referee, giving India two officials in the title match despite the national team’s earlier exit.
- Rathi advanced from playing and scoring in Navi Mumbai to umpiring after passing the Mumbai Cricket Association exam in 2014 and the BCCI national exam in 2018, and she joined the ICC Development Panel in 2020.
- Her international record includes roughly 77 Women’s T20 Internationals, 20 Women’s ODIs and one women’s Test, credentials the ICC cited in assigning her to the final.
- The appointment reflects a broader push to place more women in elite officiating roles and could strengthen the visible pathway for Indian women to move from local exams and domestic matches to ICC panels.