Umpire Ben Treloar watches on as Harshal Patel bowls.
The 44-year-old from Sydney is in India for the first time as part of the Umpire Exchange Program for the 2026-27 season between Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI ).
They were genuinely welcoming and interested,” Treloar told TimesofIndia.com from Mumbai. NEW DELHI: Last week, when umpire Ben Treloar stepped out to officiate the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Gujarat at the Palam Air Force II Ground, he caught everyone’s attention. Players from both sides were curious about the Australian umpire, with most approaching him on the opening day of the drawn fixture, in which Delhi secured the first-innings lead, to ask where he was from. “Quite a few players asked me where I was from and what was going on. As part of the programme, Australian umpire Ben Treloar will officiate in two Ranji Trophy matches in India, while Indian umpire Parashar Joshi will travel to Australia to stand in two Sheffield Shield matches and one One-Day Cup fixture. “It’s my first time in India, and I’m really enjoying the experience. Everything is brand new, and I’m experiencing it for the first time. At the end of the day, it’s just another game of cricket, but one of the differences is that I don’t know any of the players here, and they don’t know me. We’re all meeting for the first time. Ben Treloar also works as Cricket New South Wales’ Umpire Education Officer, helping develop the next generation of match officials. (Cricket Australia) “The other similarity is the passion with which the game is played. Players here and back in Australia play for their livelihoods. They play hard, play fair and compete in the right spirit. It’s great to be out in the middle, be part of that and contribute to the game.
We’ll also spend some time watching the nets and getting a feel for the conditions before the match,” he says of the BKC pitch. “But that doesn’t change what we do out in the middle. It’s another ground, another first-class match and another opportunity to officiate some really good cricket. What I noticed was how passionate everyone involved in the match was about cricket and providing excellent hospitality. From the caterers and ground staff to the players, team management and coaches, everyone was welcoming and made it a really good experience,” he adds. “I’ve had a quick look at the BKC ground in Mumbai, and it’s a much more established venue. I’m really looking forward to getting out there in a couple of days and experiencing a different type of pitch. This one has red soil, so I anticipate it will offer a little more.
