Umpire Anil Chaudhary to feature in popular show 'CID' for guest appearance

Umpire Anil Chaudhary to feature in popular show 'CID' as guest appearance (Photo Source: X)

Former Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary is all set to make a guest appearance in one of India’s most iconic crime thriller series, CID. Known for enforcing the laws of the land and making decisions on the field, Chaudhary will now be seen in a new and different role on screen. A picture that has gone viral on social media shows him in a black suit and matching sunglasses, sharing the frame with legendary character ACP Pradyuman, played by veteran actor Shivaji Satam.

CID, which aired on television for over two decades, is one of the longest-running and most-loved detective shows in Indian television history. The latest episode featuring the Indian umpire as a special guest will be streamed on OTT platform Netflix very soon. Over the years, CID has welcomed several guest stars, including the legendary Kapil Dev, who had also made a special appearance in the series. Chaudhary now joins this list of celebrities who’ve featured in the series.

Chaudhary, who recently announced his retirement from umpiring and has taken up a commentary stint for JioHotstar, is often seen as a broadcaster for the Haryanvi feed for the ongoing . With a unique blend of commentary and umpiring intellect, he is often seen explaining the decisions made by the on-field umpires, and how they were within the rules. He also runs a YouTube channel called "Umpire's Call with Anil Chaudhary", which has over one lakh fifty thousand subscribers.

"I've transformed into a commentator now. It's a bit out of the box for me, broadcasting. For the last six months, I've been behind the microphone. I commentated during the Champions Trophy in Feb-March, though I took a 'break' during that time for umpiring in the Ranji Trophy final. I've received very good feedback about my umpiring. The viewers feel that I give a different perspective, since an umpire's perspective is completely different. People feel that I say interesting things on TV commentary," Chaudhary told TOI.

The veteran match official umpired in 131 IPL matches, the most by any umpire alongside S Ravi, Having officiated in 12 Tests, 49 ODIs, and 64 T20Is, the 60-year-old is also one of the four Indian umpires to have stood in over 100 international matches in men’s cricket. His last match as an umpire was the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 final between Vidarbha and Kerala in Nagpur.

Interestingly, he made both his international debut and officiated in his final international game in matches between India and Australia. His Test debut came during the pandemic, in the India-England Chennai Test, as part of the ICC's home umpire adjustments.