English umpires Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth will officiate the Group 1 Super Eight clash between India and Australia in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 on June 24, Monday.
To hardcore Indian fans, this is not a random piece of information. Rather, it is a matter of strain, if not great horror. Richard Kettleborough, 51, was the on-field umpire of eight of the ten vital games in ICC tournaments that India failed to win. The list includes the summit clashes of the 2014 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup that the Men In Blue lost against Sri Lanka and Australia respectively.
During Australia's run chase in the 2023 final, a close LBW decision off Jasprit Bumrah's bowling against Marnus Labuschagne was ruled in favor of the latter by Kettleborough. When India reviewed the decision, VAR judged it too close and labeled it 'Umpire's Call.' If the partnership between Travis Head and Labuschagne was broken at that stage, India could have made a comeback to the game. Later, when Kettleborough came to collect his medal during the match presentation, the crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium even bood him, reports said.
When India went down against Australia and New Zealand in the semifinals of the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups, Kettleborough was on the field officiating. Thus, Indian cricket fans are not very fond of the English umpire, who remains a jinx that Rohit Sharma's team has not managed to break so far.
Illingworth and Kettleborough were promoted to the ICC International List on the same day in November 2009. Kettleborough won the ICC's Umpire of the Year award thrice in a row, between 2013-15.
Virat Kohli will be expected to hit his straps after a lean run while left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav will anxiously wait for his chance when title-favourites India face a sprightly Afghanistan in their opening Super 8 fixture of the T20 World Cup at Barbados on Thursday.