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It has been 17 years since a young Virat Kohli and his men lifted the trophy, a moment etched in the annals of cricket history. Today, only a few from that squad, Ravindra Jadeja, Manish Pandey, and Kohli, remain active in the IPL. But this season, they will reunite with Srivastava, who was India’s top-scorer in the World Cup final against South Africa.
Srivastava, who played for Uttar Pradesh in first class cricket, had scored 262 runs in six matches in that tournament.
His impressive performance back in 2008 earned him a contract with Kings XI Punjab, marking the beginning of what many hoped would be a stellar playing career. However, at the age of 30, Srivastava made a bold decision to retire from playing cricket, realizing that his aspirations of featuring in the IPL were dwindling.
“I understood that was the best player I could be,” TOI's Arani Basu quoted him as saying. “I was nowhere close to playing the IPL. I had to decide if I wanted to prolong life as a player or have a longer successful second innings.”
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With a practical outlook, Srivastava said he had a candid conversation with Rajiv Shukla, the current vice-president of the BCCI and a key figure in UP cricket. “I told Shukla sir that I wanted to do something else in cricket other than playing. He was a bit taken aback since I was still just 30. Then we discussed what the options could be,” he said.
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Although he initially pursued coaching, he realized that the best he could achieve would be a role as a fielding coach. Ultimately, he chose to focus on umpiring, a decision that would change the trajectory of his career.
In 2020, while preparing for umpiring exams, Srivastava wore multiple hats, balancing roles as a talent scout for Royal Challengers Bangalore and a fielding coach for U-16s at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and Jammu and Kashmir.
“Studying for umpiring is tough. I used to stay up at nights. You have to study a lot to understand the laws and its implications,” he said, highlighting the challenges that come with such a transition.
The BCCI’s umpiring program played a crucial role in his journey, offering a pathway for former players to step into officiating roles. “There is certain relaxation for players irrespective of the level of cricket they’ve played. The board is encouraging young players to take up umpiring rather than heavily depending on older people with bookish knowledge,” he said, appreciating the support extended to players like himself.
As he prepares to officiate in the IPL this season, although he might not be featuring in the on-field duties, Srivastava, 35, stands on the cusp of a historic milestone—becoming the first player to have both played and officiated in the league.
(With inputs from TOI)
