Janani Narayanan: The female umpire who made her on-field debut in the TNPL
Janani Narayanan has grown through the ranks in her quest to become an official umpire and finally made her on-field debut in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), more than a decade after wanting to pursue her dreams.
The umpire, who hails from Chennai, was the on-field umpire for the TNPL match between Chepauk Super Gillies and Nellai Royal Kings on Saturday.
After being added to the ICC Panel alongside Vrinda Rathi last year, the duo became the second and third Indian female match officials to join the International Panel of Match Referees after GS Lakshmi, who is on the International Panel of Match Referees.
Here's what Narayanan had to say after making her on-field debut.
"Cricket! I love anything related to cricket. I had the desire to be on the field, so I chose umpiring. The final over, I think 8 or 9 runs were required, so I was ready (for a Super Over). Once the wicket fell and a wide was bowled, the thought of a Super Over kept running through my mind. But he finished it with a six."
"Everybody says umpiring is a thankless job. My seniors have told me that an umpire who does well won't be in the limelight. That's what everyone says and that's what I want to do as well."
Dinesh Karthik hails TNCA and BCCI after Narayanan's debut in the TNPL
Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik, who is currently a commentator for The Hundred in the UK, hailed the efforts of the TNPL and BCCI in their efforts to facilitate the growth of Indian umpires on the cricket circuit.
In a tweet, Karthik expressed his delight at Narayanan's debut in the TNPL with the hashtag 'girl power'. The former wicket-keeper also added that this feat should soon be followed in the IPL, while referring to how the quality of umpiring has increased tremendously in recent times.