Kumar Dharmasena is a Sri Lankan umpire and a former international cricket player. Kumar, currently an umpire panel member in the 2025-2027 World Test Championship (WTC) India versus England Test series, was heavily criticised on 31 July 2025 in the last Test between India and England.
In about the first hour or so of play on Day 5 of the final Test, the England team had appealed for LBW against Sai Sudarshan, and Kumar again gave it not out. Without waiting for the 15-second disappearance of the DRS timer, he had gone on to point to the inside edge of the batsman’s bat, which was touched by the ball.
The incident sparked an angry response from the Indian public. The outcry and commentaries were basically saying that he had saved England from having to review DRS now. Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary came out in answer to the commentaries and also in answer to Kumar. He said openly that it is what it is, but no one would ever do something like that on purpose at such a high level.
Kumar Dharmasena Biography 2025
He was one of those who represented Sri Lanka at international cricket for 12 years between 1993 and 2004; after retirement from the playing field, he took to umpiring. The all-rounder could bat right-handed and bowl off-spin. He was born on 24 April 1971, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and so today he should be 54 years of age.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 24 April 1971 (54 years in 2025) |
| Playing Career | Sri Lanka all‑rounder (1993–2004); 1996 World Cup winner |
| Umpiring | Elite Panel umpire since 2011; Umpired 91 Tests, 137 ODIs and 47 T20Is |
| ICC Awards | Umpire of the Year: 2012, 2018 |
| Unique Record | First person in World Cup final as both player & umpire |
Kumar Dharmasena’s Cricket Career
Kumar began his cricketing career at Nalanda College in Colombo during his teenage years. Little is known about the gaps of time in Kumar’s life; the arena suddenly jumps to 1993 for an international debut in Test cricket against South Africa.
In 1998, an in-depth investigation into Kumar for an illegal bowling action was launched, but he was found not guilty in 2000. So immediately after that, Kumar effectively retired from Test cricket; he then concentrated on One-day International cricket.
Kumar Dharmasena played 31 Test matches in his career, having scored 868 runs, taken 69 wickets with the ball, and three times passing the milestone of five wickets in an innings. In Test cricket, the best bowling performance by Kumar was 6/72 in an innings.
Kumar played 141 ODIs and scored 1,222 runs. The number of wickets in ODIs was 138, with the best bowling figures being 4/37. Kumar Dharmasena also represented Sri Lanka in the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
Kumar Dharmasena’s Umpire Career
At the time of retirement from all formats of the game in November 2006, he had indicated that he wanted to umpire just to have a close association with his favourite sport. He had umpired some domestic cricket matches in Sri Lanka in the Sara Trophy before that.
It was in 2009 that he officiated the first ODI of his career between India and Sri Lanka as an International umpire, thereby becoming the youngest Sri Lankan umpire in an International fixture. He was brought into the ICC Elite Umpire Panel in May 2011.
Up until now, he has officiated 47 T20 Internationals, 137 ODIs, and 91 Tests; he was ICC Umpire of the Year for both 2012 and 2018. He is the first Sri Lankan recipient of the David Shepherd Trophy. Kumar Dharmasena is the first to have entered World Cup final matches in both playing and umpiring.