There have been numerous changes in the IPL, and one of them was of the former umpire Anil Chaudhary, who will be part of the commentary panel for the next 2025 season of the IPL, which starts on March 22 at Eden Gardens between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru

This effectively put an end to his refereeing career. Chaudhary's last game was the Ranji Trophy final between Kerala and Vidarbha in Nagpur last month, and his last international game in September 2023. In all, he had refereed 12 Tests, 49 ODIs, and 64 T20s. With retirement in sight, Chaudhary started preparing for the next phase of life and ventured into regional commentary, which has skyrocketed in the last two years.

Anil Chaudhary has long been a referee. Alongside his 17 years as an umpire, he will give his views on the tournament's Haryanavi feed. While many think the switch from umpire to commentator is tricky, Chaudhary explained he's been a commentator for three months and speaks about how his take on the game contrasts with that of ex-cricket players. He also said he is content working as an umpire, though not in the ICC's elite panel, who in the past have included only one Indian: Nitin Menon.

"I've been commentating for the past three to four months, so I was already in transition. I've also been imparting umpiring and commentating skills through an online platform. As an umpire, I used to referee about 15 matches in a season; here, I've refereed more than 50. Ex-cricketers perceive the game from their own point of view on television, and as an umpire, I have a different point of view. It's enjoyable," Chaudhary said.

"I've been an overseas umpire for more than 12 years. I've worked in the IPL since 2008 and have umpired more than 200 games. Kuch na kuch toh reh hee jata hain life mein (In life, something is left behind)," concluded the Delhi umpire.