IPL 2021: Umpires Paul Reiffel and Nitin Menon out of tourney!

India’s top umpire Nitin Menon and former Aussie pacer turned umpire Paul Reiffel puled out of IPL 2021 citing personal reasons.

Accoridng to reports, Umpire Nitin Menon has left the IPL bio-bubble after his wife and mother tested positive for COVID-19 at Indore.

“Yes, Nitin has left as his immediate family members have COVID-19 and he is currently not in a mental state to conduct games,” a BCCI official told PTI.

Nitin Menon is the only Indian umpire in the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires.

Menon now becomes the 2^nd Indian to pull out of the tournament to take care of his familial needs. The first one being off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Meanwhile Aussie umpire Paul Reiffel’s decision comes after Australian government imposed a travel ban from India in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases.

IPL 2021 has already seen the exit of Australian cricketers AJ Tye, Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa.

With the exit of 2 top umpires, BCCI is likely to replace Nitin Menon and Paul Reiffel with two of its own pool of umpires.

BCCI interim CEO Hemang Amin has assured all players and support staff that they remain safe in the bio-bubble.