Anil Chaudhary, who was part of IPL for 17 seasons as an umpire, will now feature in the upcoming edition of the league as a commentator. Chaudhary turned 60 on March 12. His 60th birthday resulted in his retirement as an umpire.The Ranji Trophy 2024-25 final game between Kerala and Vidarbha in Nagpur marked his last game as an umpire. While discussing his last international appearance, it happened in September 2023 with the ODI game between India and Australia played in Rajkot. Chaudhary officiated in 125 men’s international matches with his appearance in 64 T20 Internationals (T20Is), 49 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 12 Tests.
With the rise of regional commentary in the last few seasons, Chaudhary broke into the Haryanvi feed in the IPL 2025, which will begin with the contest between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the iconic Eden Gardens on March 22. However, his voice will also feature in the Hindi commentary on a few occasions during the marquee tournament to be played for the next couple of months.
"I have been commentating for the past three-four months. So, I was already in the transition phase. I have also been teaching umpiring and commentary via an online platform," Chaudhary said to PTI.
Anil Chaudhary satiated with his umpiring career
Chaudhary expressed satisfaction over his illustrious umpiring career. Back in 2022, he also officiated the Asia Cup 2022 final between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the iconic Dubai International Stadium. Despite umpiring for 10 years in international cricket, Chaudhary couldn’t join his compatriot Nitin Menon on the list of ICC elite panel.
"I was an international umpire for more than 12 years. Have been doing IPL since 2008 and have done more than 200 games. Kuch na kuch toh reh hee jata hain life mein," said Chaudhary.
