The International Cricket Council (ICC) has just announced the match officials for the big final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. It’s going to be a thrilling clash between defending champions India and a determined New Zealand team this Sunday, March 8, at the massive Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Taking charge on the field will be England’s Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf as the on-field umpires. For Illingworth, this is a pretty big deal—he’ll be standing in his second T20 World Cup final in a row. The guy’s got a solid track record in high-stakes games, having already officiated the 2023 ODI World Cup final and the 2025 Champions Trophy final.
Meanwhile, this is a special moment for Alex Wharf too. It’s his first time umpiring a senior men’s World Cup final. Wharf, who used to bowl fast for England back in the day, joined the Elite Panel of Umpires earlier in 2025 and has really impressed everyone with how he’s handled matches in this tournament.
List Of Umpires For The T20 World Cup Final 2026
| Role | Official |
| On-Field Umpire | Richard Illingworth (ENG) |
| On-Field Umpire | Alex Wharf (ENG) |
| Third Umpire (TV) | Allahuddien Paleker (SA) |
| Fourth Umpire | Adrian Holdstock (SA) |
| Match Referee | Andy Pycroft (ZIM) |
It’s no surprise that Illingworth and Wharf got the nod—they were already together during New Zealand’s strong semi-final win over South Africa. Their good understanding and cool heads in tense situations probably played a big part in the decision.
Backing them up from the TV booth is South Africa’s Allahuddien Paleker, who’s been spot-on with those DRS reviews throughout the tournament. Fellow South African Adrian Holdstock is on reserve duties, and the experienced Andy Pycroft will be the match referee, making sure everything stays fair and in the right spirit.
This final is shaping up to be something special. India comes in as favorites after scraping through a crazy semi-final against England, where they won by just 7 runs in a game that had almost 500 runs scored. New Zealand, on the other hand, is chasing their first-ever T20 World Cup title after playing some really sharp cricket in the Super 8s and knockouts.
With top-class officials lined up and the world’s biggest cricket stadium all set, Ahmedabad is ready for what could be a historic night of cricket. Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!
