It’s fascinating how careers can change in sports. When Virat Kohli won the 2008 ICC U19 World Cup, he went on to become one of the best batters in the world. However, most of his teammates from that Under-19 team didn’t have as successful cricket careers.
Virat Kohli’s Rise and Tanmay Srivastava’s New Path
Now, as Virat Kohli starts a new chapter in the IPL 2025 season with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), his former U19 teammate Tanmay Srivastava will make his debut as an umpire in the same T20 league.
According to a report in the Times of India, Tanmay Srivastava secured an umpiring job in the IPL at the age of 35. Interestingly, Tanmay was the top scorer for India in the 2008 ICC U19 World Cup final, but his career didn’t follow the same path as Virat Kohli’s. After impressing in the 2008 U19 World Cup, Tanmay earned a contract with Punjab Kings, but things started to decline for him after that.
“I understood that was the best player I could be,” Srivastava said in a chat with TOI. “I was nowhere close to playing the IPL. I had to decide if I wanted to prolong life as a player or have a longer successful second innings.”
Tanmay Srivastava’s Transition: From U19 World Cup Star to IPL 2025 Umpire
Tanmay ended his cricketing career at the age of 30 while still the captain of the Uttarakhand team, having previously played for Uttar Pradesh. He decided to explore other opportunities in cricket besides being a player. The decision, understandably, was a tough one. While Tanmay hasn’t yet been given an on-field role in the IPL, he is keeping his fingers crossed.
Tanmay is still in touch with Virat, whom he might get to meet in this IPL. “I am still in touch with Virat, but I had to decide for myself and have a practical outlook,” he revealed. “I told Rajiv Shukla sir that I wanted to do something else in cricket other than playing. He was a bit taken aback since I was still just 30. Then we discussed what the options could be. I did my Level 2 course in coaching in NCA, but I knew the best I could become was fielding coach. I decided to focus on umpiring,” Tanmay Srivastava said.
He decided to take up umpiring, studied for its exams while also juggling different cricketing jobs, like being a talent scout for RCB and being one of the coaches at the National Cricket Academy.
“Studying for umpiring is tough. I used to stay up at nights. You have to study a lot to understand the laws and its implications,” he said.
“There is certain relaxation for players irrespective of the level of cricket they’ve played. The board is encouraging young players to take up umpiring rather than heavily depending on older people with bookish knowledge.” he asserted.
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