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December 2025 was special.
It was the first time I was covering a cricket tournament of this scale—the CII Corporate Cricket League in Delhi.
I’ve covered sports before, but this felt different, especially since I actively applied some of the valuable tips and knowledge shared by Saikat Das, one of the most prominent cricket photographer, who had been mentoring me throughout the second half of 2025, from time to time. His guidance covered various photography techniques as well as a deeper understanding of cricket's dynamics with respect to photographic elements and gears—like anticipating player movements for sharper action shots and selecting the right lenses for Delhi's variable light conditions.
The infrastructure, the planning, the capital invested—it all genuinely surprised me, and his insights helped me capture it with greater precision and storytelling flair.
Corporate Cricket at a Professional Level
Corporate Cricket at a Professional Level
When people hear “corporate cricket,” they imagine a casual tournament.
This was anything but casual.
The tournament had:
A decision review system where players could challenge umpire calls
Live streaming on YouTube with multiple high-quality cameras
Professional-level commentators
Production quality that felt close to domestic cricket
It showed how seriously companies are now investing in sport.
And the venue?
The matches were played at the Jamia Millia Islamia Cricket Ground, one of the best cricket grounds in Delhi — a ground where even Virender Sehwag has trained.
That itself says a lot about the standard.
Morning Light – A Photographer’s Dream
Morning Light – A Photographer’s Dream
December mornings in Delhi can be beautiful.
Despite the winter haze, the early light gave me some of my favorite frames of the tournament:
Batsmen lofting the ball cleanly for sixes
Powerful drives racing to the boundary
Bowlers frozen mid-air during delivery stride
The sharp moment of a batsman getting bowled
Those are the frames that define cricket photography.
Timing.
Anticipation.
Clean background separation.
The energy in the morning sessions was fresh and aggressive.
The Pollution Challenge
The Pollution Challenge
But December in Delhi also brings its biggest challenge — pollution.
The haze affects clarity.
It softens contrast.
It reduces sharpness at long focal lengths.
Thankfully, the conditions never became unmanageable, but it required constant adjustments — especially in exposure and white balance.
You learn to work with the environment, not fight it.
The Drama – Honda vs Maruti Suzuki
The Drama – Honda vs Maruti Suzuki
The tournament had its own storylines.
The defending champions, Honda, were knocked out by Maruti Suzuki in the semi-finals — a rematch of the previous year’s final.
There were intense showdowns, but one team stood out.
Spark Minda dominated the tournament. Most of their games were one-sided. A few teams tried to challenge them, but overall their performance was clinical.
Captain Pavan led from the front.
And I captured one of my favorite celebration frames of the tournament:
Pavan mid-air in celebration —
while the Maruti Suzuki wicketkeeper knelt in despair behind him.
Two emotions in one frame.
That’s why I love sports photography.
The Real Technical Struggle – Low Light
The Real Technical Struggle – Low Light
Day matches were manageable.
But once the floodlights took over, things became tricky.
Even at f/5.6, I was pushing limits. I could have increased ISO further, but that would have introduced noticeable grain.
Moments like these make you realize the value of faster glass.
A 400mm f/4 or a 70–200mm f/2.8 would have made a significant difference under lights.
Sports photography often comes down to this balance:
Light vs Noise
Sharpness vs Exposure
Reach vs Speed
And sometimes, gear does matter.
What This Tournament Taught Me
What This Tournament Taught Me
This wasn’t just another assignment.
It taught me:
How corporate tournaments can operate at near-professional levels
How to adapt to pollution-heavy environments
How to anticipate celebrations and emotional moments
The importance of fast lenses in night cricket
Most importantly, it gave me confidence.
Covering a tournament of this scale showed me that I’m ready for bigger cricket stages.
Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
Cricket in India is emotion.
Even in corporate leagues, the intensity is real.
The Fifth CII Corporate Cricket League wasn’t just a tournament — it was proof that sport, when done seriously, creates moments worth documenting.
And I’m glad I was there to capture them.
If you are aspiring to photograph in the IPL or other big tournaments you would need fast lenses. Atleast f4 which will be able to cature image in the flood lights
Interested in more such tips - Explore my [polo tournament photography] or see how I am [capturing athletic performance] across different sports
Looking for a professional photographer for your cricket tournament? I provide complete photography services to document every action and celebration.
About the Author
About the Author
Jithin Thomas is a Delhi-based sports and wildlife photographer with over five years of field experience. He has been an accredited photographer for the World Para Athletics Championship (2025) and the W35 Women’s International Tennis Tournament (2025). As the official photographer for the Harish Sharma 3x3 Basketball Tournament, he specializes in capturing decisive sporting moments under real-time pressure, delivering editorial-quality imagery with same-day turnaround capability
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