"It gives me the best seat to....": U19 WC 2008 winner with Virat, Tanmay Shrivastava opens up on transition from player to umpire

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 29 : India's U19 World Cup winning cricketer Tanmay Shrivastava, who will be appearing in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) as an umpire, opened up on his transition from a player to match official and being in touch with the U19 World Cup 2008 winning batch, which includes iconic batter Virat Kohli.
Tanmay was speaking in a video posted on the IPL website. He was the leading run-getter in the 2008 U19 WC, which India won under Virat, scoring 262 runs in six innings at an average of 52.40 with two half-centuries and the best score of 83*.
Speaking in the video, Tanmay said, "You must have seen me play in the IPL and now you will see me as a match official in the IPL. I was very grateful when I found out I had been selected in this pool of umpires. I was very surprised and happy that where I was once a player, I will now be a match official," said Tanmay.
"I was very excited to be coming back to this environment and to have the opportunity to come back on field. I was the umpire in the first match (KKR-RCB) match in Eden Gardens and during that I felt I was in my playing days, just my role has changed," he added.
Speaking on being in touch with the U19 WC 2008 batch, Tanmay said that they are all still in touch.
"All of the members from the U19 World Cup winning team, we are all still in touch. I met Virat in Kolkata, and the others, they are very surprised after meeting after such a long time that too in a different role," he added.
Tanmay also said that now a lot of players are coming into umpiring and the mindset of players towards it has changed.
"Players now want to stay associated with the game for a long time. It feels really good seeing players grow. I have been a part of BCCI Panel of Umpiring since two years and I enjoy it since it gives me the best seat to watch the game and be a part of it. I also try doing simulations of third umpiring and how will I do in pressure situations" he added.
Tanmay played his last first-class game for UP in 2020, scoring 4,918 runs in 90 matches at an average of 34.39 with 10 centuries and 27 fifties. His best score is 179. In 44 List-A matches, he made 1,728 runs at an average of 44.30, with seven centuries and 10 fifties. Tanmay also played 34 T20s, scoring 649 runs at an average of 28.21, with four fifties.
He also played seven matches for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2008-09, scoring eight runs in three innings.