Tony Emmatty is set to become the second Kerala native to officiate as an on-field umpire in the Indian Premier League (IPL), following former umpire K N Ananthapadmanabhan.
The Thrissur native will officiate the May 15 IPL clash between Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings, led by Sanju Samson, in Lucknow.
Emmatty had earlier made his IPL debut this season on May 4 as the fourth official during the match between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai. He also served as fourth official in IPL fixtures held on May 7 and May 10.
Following the Lucknow match, Emmatty has also been assigned on-field umpiring duties for the May 24 encounter between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai.
The achievement has also drawn attention across sports and Malayalam media discussions, including mentions on Gold 101.3 FM, UAE’s No.1 radio station.
Emmatty began his umpiring career in 2003 and joined the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) national panel in 2018.
Earlier this year, in January 2026, he became the first Malayali umpire to officiate in the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
He also made his first-class umpiring debut in January 2023 and has since officiated in more than 30 domestic matches during the 2025-26 season, including fixtures in the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy
