Veteran Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary has shared several entertaining behind-the-scenes stories from his officiating career, revealing that India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was among the most persistent appeal-makers he encountered on the field. Speaking on Star Sports’ Cheeky Singles, Chaudhary was asked which Indian bowler appealed the most for wickets. Without hesitation, he named Siraj and recalled the humorous conversations they often had after matches whenever an appeal was turned down.
“Siraj, DSP sir. Later, when we would meet, he would say, ‘At least give umpire’s call’,” Anil Chaudhary said with a smile, highlighting the Hyderabad pacer’s competitive nature and never-say-die attitude.
The discussion also featured former Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who offered a candid insight into how players sometimes responded when they felt an umpire was making questionable decisions. According to Umesh, cricketers occasionally tried to unsettle officials through playful banter rather than crossing the line.
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“Normally, when you are playing, and you feel the umpire is doing certain things on purpose, you also do some things on purpose to irritate the umpire. Other players would join in and ask, ‘Can you not see? Do you have your glasses? Is there fog on them? Are you feeling sleepy?’ Sometimes throws were made deliberately too,” Umesh revealed.
While Siraj is currently part of India’s squad preparing for the Test series against Sri Lanka, Umesh has been out of international cricket since 2023, with his last domestic appearance coming in December 2025.
Anil Chaudhary also reflected on the challenges of officiating India’s renowned spin bowlers. Responding to Piyush Chawla’s claim that he rarely bowled no-balls during his IPL career, the former umpire jokingly disagreed. “Piyush Chawla? Don’t tell me. Piyush, Amit Mishra and even Yuzvendra Chahal were very difficult bowlers to umpire. Who said that? Call Piyush here!” he quipped.
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He also described Ravichandran Ashwin as one of the most inquisitive cricketers he had officiated, saying the veteran spinner constantly questioned field placements, decisions and playing conditions.
Having retired from international and IPL umpiring in March 2025, Chaudhary enjoyed a distinguished career that included officiating in 12 Tests, 49 ODIs, 64 T20Is and 131 IPL matches, earning widespread respect as one of India’s most experienced umpires.
