Pashchim Pathak
Umpire Pashchim Pathak. (Photo: Twitter)

While SunRisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders were involved in a crucial clash in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, umpire Paschim Pathak caught everyone’s attention with his style.

SRH captain David Warner won the toss and decided to bowl first. And soon after Pashchim Pathak took the field, he caught everyone’s attention thanks to his long hairs. Sporting a cap, a pair of goggles with his long hairs completely untied, Pashchim Pathak indeed looked very different than his colleagues.

Pashchim Pathak
Pashchim Pathak with S Ravi (Credits: Twitter)

Unsurprisingly, his look is drawing reactions from a number of fans with some even calling him a rockstar. Social media has been flooded with photos of Pashchim Pathak as the fans are expressing their surprise over his eye-catching style while some even wanted to know more about the official.

Who is Pashchim Pathak?

The game between SRH and KKR might be the first game as an on-field umpire for Pashchim Pathak in the ongoing IPL 2020, but he is on the scene for more than a decade. Hailing from Mumbai, he has officiated in Indian domestic cricket since 2009 and was also the reserve umpire for two Tests and three ODIs in India.

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Pashchim Pathak
Pashchim Pathak (L) (Credits: Twitter)

He has officiated in international cricket too. In 2012, he was the umpire in two Women’s ODI Matches. Pashchim Pathak is also not new to umpiring in IPL, having officiated in the tournament previously in 2014 and 2015. He had stood as on-field umpire in four games each during those two seasons.

Later in 2015, he hogged the limelight after becoming the first Indian umpire to wear a helmet while umpiring in a match. He had worn the helmet during the Vijay Hazare Trophy that season. He had taken that decision after seeing his colleague coping a dangerous blow on his head during a Ranji Trophy match. Pashchim Pathak was at the square leg position during the Ranji Trophy match in Tamil Nadu when he saw a shot hit the back of umpire John Ward’s head.

“Post Phil Hughes incident and the death of an umpire in Israel, I had been thinking of wearing some kind of protective gear but wasn’t too sure how wearing a helmet will feel. I had been discussing the prospect of using a helmet with fellow umpires but the thought had stayed at the idea stage only,” he had said back in 2015.

Pashchim Pathak
Pashchim Pathak with fellow umpire Kumar Dharmasena during IPL 2014 (Credits: IPLT20)

“The sound of the ball hitting him (Ward) was scary. I thought that his skull has opened up. The way he collapsed, it sent shivers down my spine. It was at this moment that I thought I am definitely going to wear a helmet during my next assignment.

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