Virender Sharma

{{short description|Indian cricketer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Virender Sharma | image = | country = | fullname = Virender Kumar Sharma | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|9|11|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh]], India | death_date = | death_place = | batting = | bowling = | role = [[Umpire (cricket)|Umpire]]

| date = 19 March 2023 | source = [http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/33933.html ESPNcricinfo] }}

'''Virender Sharma''' (born 11 September 1971) is an Indian international [[Umpire (cricket)|umpire]] and former [[cricket]]er.<ref name="Bio">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/33933.html |title=Virender Sharma |access-date=1 November 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> He played in fifty [[first-class cricket|first-class]] and forty [[List A cricket|List A]] matches for [[Himachal Pradesh cricket team|Himachal Pradesh]] between 1990 and 2006.<ref name="Bio"/><ref>{{Cite web|last=Service|first=Tribune News|title=Virat Kohli loses cool at umpire Virender Sharma, square-leg umpire intervenes|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sports/kohli-loses-cool-at-umpire-sharma-square-leg-umpire-intervenes-323560|access-date=2 November 2021|website=Tribuneindia News Service|language=en}}</ref> Sharma stood as an umpire in the [[Twenty20]] tour match between [[South African cricket team in India in 2015–16|India A vs South Africa]] on 29 September 2015.<ref name="Umpire">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/903583.html |title=South Africa tour of India, Tour Match: India A v South Africans at Delhi, Sep 29, 2015 |access-date=29 September 2015 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref>

In November 2016 during the [[Ranji Trophy]] match between [[2016–17 Ranji Trophy Group A#Round 6|Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh]], Sharma was forced to stand at both ends for the entire day 2, after the other umpire [[Sam Nogajski]] was taken ill with food poisoning. The reserve umpire at the venue was not a member of the BCCI panel, which meant that he could only stand at square leg.<ref name="Ranji">{{cite news |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ranji-trophy-2016-17/content/story/1066290.html |title=Ranji umpire stands at both ends with partner absent ill |publisher=ESPN Cricinfo |date=14 November 2016 |access-date=14 November 2016}}</ref>

In March 2017, he stood in the final of the [[2016–17 Vijay Hazare Trophy]].<ref name="LA">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1053887.html |title=Vijay Hazare Trophy, Final: Tamil Nadu v Bengal at Delhi, Mar 20, 2017 |access-date=20 March 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> On 10 January 2020, he stood in his first [[Twenty20 International]] (T20I) match, in the fixture between [[Sri Lankan cricket team in India in 2019–20|India and Sri Lanka]].<ref name="T20I">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1202244.html |title=3rd T20I (N), Sri Lanka tour of India at Pune, Jan 10 2020 |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> One week later, on 17 January 2020, he stood in his first [[One Day International]] (ODI) match, in the fixture between [[Australian cricket team in India in 2019–20|India and Australia]].<ref name="ODI">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1187028.html |title=2nd ODI, Australia tour of India at Rajkot, Jan 17 2020 |access-date=17 January 2020 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref>

In January 2021, the [[International Cricket Council]] (ICC) named him as one of the on-field umpires for the [[English cricket team in India in 2020–21#2nd Test|second Test]] match between [[English cricket team in India in 2020–21|India and England]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/115969/nitin-menon-home-umpire-india-vs-england-test-series |title=Anil Chaudhary, Virender Sharma set to debut as umpires in Tests |work=CricBuzz |access-date=28 January 2021}}</ref> On 13 February 2021, he stood in his first Test as an onfield umpire, between India and England.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1243384.html |title=1st Test, Chennai, Feb 5 - Feb 9 2021, England tour of India |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/two-indian-umpires-to-officiate-in-a-test-for-1st-time-after-1994-1766023-2021-02-04 |title=Chennai Test: For 1st time since February 1994, 2 Indian umpires will stand in a Test match in India |work=India Today |access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref>

In January 2023, he was named as one of the on-field umpires for the [[2023 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup|2023 ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |title=ICC announces highest number of female match officials for ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/3010251#:~:text=Umpires%3A%20Sarah%20Bartlett%2C%20Jasmine%20Naeem,%2C%20Virender%20Sharma%2C%20Shahid%20Saikat. |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=www.icc-cricket.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ICC announces highest number of female match officials for U19 Women's T20 World Cup 2023 |url=https://theprint.in/sport/icc-announces-highest-number-of-female-match-officials-for-u19-womens-t20-world-cup-2023/1299181/ |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=ThePrint |date=5 January 2023}}</ref>

==See also== * [[List of Test cricket umpires]] * [[List of One Day International cricket umpires]] * [[List of Twenty20 International cricket umpires]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{cricinfo|id=33933}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Virender}} [[Category:1971 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Indian cricketers]] [[Category:Indian cricket umpires]] [[Category:Indian Test cricket umpires]] [[Category:Indian One Day International cricket umpires]] [[Category:Indian Twenty20 International cricket umpires]] [[Category:Himachal Pradesh cricketers]] [[Category:People from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh]]