Sports Photographer Nikhil Patil Freezes Moments with his Fast Shutter Speed

From the sidelines of Mumbai's local football grounds to the bright lights of the IPL, Nikhil Patil has carved out an impressive career as a sports photographer over the past decade. Currently serving as the team photographer for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Patil's journey reflects both passion and perseverance. "I am a sports photographer. I've been doing sports photography for almost 10 years," says Patil. "I started doing photography back in 2012 when I was in college, and currently, it's been 10 professional years."

From Football Fan to Professional Photographer

Nikhil’s love for sports, particularly football, sparked his career ambitions. As a self-described "die-hard Manchester United fan", he initially dreamed of playing at Old Trafford, but soon found another path. "Whenever I used to watch Manchester United's game, my ultimate life goal became to one day reach Old Trafford, their home ground," the sports photographer recalls. "Being a football player and reaching United was next to impossible for any Indian guy. Then, once I was watching a match, and this photographer was sitting at the corner lines, a cool guy wearing a hat. And I thought, damn, I can shoot sports. If I cannot be a footballer, maybe I can shoot sports and reach Old Trafford."

This inspiration led him to enrol in a basic photography course at the National Institute of Photography in Mumbai in 2012. Though the course didn't specifically focus on sports photography, it provided the technical foundation he needed.

The Hustle Years

Patil's early career involved significant struggle and determination. After graduating, he initially worked for Yatra.com, photographing hotels across India. But the job didn't align with his dreams. "After six or seven months, I resigned from that job and started searching for how to become a sports photographer," he says. "Back then, not every team had a photographer. In fact, sports photography is not really a big thing in India still."

To gain experience, Patil would photograph amateur football matches and eventually landed an internship with Football Counter, covering school football matches and local leagues in Mumbai. This led to opportunities to photograph I-League matches and eventually the Indian national football team.

"I was not earning enough," Nikhil admits about his early days. "But as I was very passionate about sports photography, I never really thought about the money. I always thought about being a better photographer every day."

Breaking Into Professional Teams

But as they say, hardwood is noticed someday, and it was time for Nikhil’s work to get noticed. His big break came in 2020 when he joined Mumbai City FC as their team photographer. "In my first season itself in ISL, the team won the shield as well as the ISL Cup. It was the first time an ISL team won both the trophies, the league as well as the cup. So it was like a dream start for my career," he says.

After two seasons with Mumbai City FC, he moved to East Bengal FC before finally landing an opportunity with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. "Meraki, a brand strategy and sports marketing agency, had a client, Kolkata Knight Riders. They were impressed with my work in East Bengal FC and asked me if I would like to cover the IPL. I was like, 'Yes, why not?' I was a pure football fan, I never thought about shooting IPL," Patil explains.

Life as an IPL Photographer

According to Nikhil, cricket photography presents unique challenges compared to football. "In IPL, as a team photographer, you are not allowed to shoot the cricket matches. So a match day is basically an off day," he explains. Instead, his work focuses on training sessions, team events, and promotional activities. "The difficult part in team photography is that it's very monotonous. You have to go to training sessions every day, and you're shooting the same thing every day, but you need to do it in a different way," the photographer says.

He develops strategies to keep his work fresh. "If I have covered portraits today, the next day, maybe I will play with the shutter. I will do some slow shutter shots. Some other day, maybe I will focus on everyone batting."

The Photographer's Life

For Nikhil, being a team photographer means living much like the athletes themselves. "A sports photographer's life, if you are a team photographer, is like a sportsperson's. You are living a footballer's life or a cricketer's life; you're always in a five-star hotel, travelling with the team. You just go there, you're not playing football or cricket, but you're shooting. So it's like a similar life of an athlete, just with a camera in hand."

His dedication paid off when he was recognised as India's best sports photographer in 2025, an achievement that stands alongside memorable moments like East Bengal FC's Super Cup victory and being celebrated by fans of Mumbai City FC. But this was not his best achievement. His most memorable moment was something he had never experienced before. "I never in my wildest dreams imagined that fans would chant for a photographer," Patil says, recalling when Mumbai City fans chanted his name. "I broke, I melted, and I cried. I never imagined a photographer could get this kind of recognition staying behind the camera."

As Nikhil Patil continues his journey with KKR in Kolkata, his ultimate dream remains unchanged - to one day photograph at Manchester United's Old Trafford, completing the circle of inspiration that started his remarkable career.