How Indian Cricketers Maintain Skin Under Sun Exposure

If you watch a day of cricket in India, you will notice something other than the scoreboard. The cricket players are there for six, sometimes eight hours under a sun that does not take breaks. No shade, no air conditioning, just turf, sweat, and glare bouncing off the cricket pitch. Yet most of these cricket players step off the field without the raw sunburn or patchy tan you would expect after a day like that.

That is not luck. It is a routine. It is one that holds some really useful lessons for anyone in India dealing with sun-related skin concerns, tanning, pigmentation, or Acne Scars that just will not fade.

Why does cricketers’ skin take a real beating

Cricket is one of the few sports where players spend nearly the entire match outdoors, often during the harshest UV hours of the day, between late morning and mid-afternoon. Add sweating, dust from the cricket pitch, tight helmets that trap heat, and back-to-back travel across different climates, and you have got a recipe for sunburn, tanning, breakouts, and premature skin aging. Sports and lifestyle coverage on cricketers has repeatedly pointed out that their sunscreens need to be lightweight, sweat-resistant, and offer broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Very different from a sunscreen you would casually dab on before a walk.

What Indian cricket players actually say about their

A few Indian cricketers have spoken publicly about this, and their approach is really simple.

Tilak Varma, when asked about his match-day skincare ritual, described a three-step habit: face wash, moisturiser, and then sunscreen, in that order, taking only about five minutes. He also spoke about how a lightweight, non-greasy sunscreen makes it far easier to stay consistent. Heavy, sticky formulas are usually the reason people skip sun protection altogether.

Suryakumar Yadav has echoed the priority. Speaking about staying protected during hours on the cricket field, he noted that taking care of his skin matters just as much as his physical fitness, given how constantly he is exposed to the sun.

Then there is Harleen Deol, whose sunscreen routine went unexpectedly viral after fans zoomed into a video and spotted the product she uses before outdoor activity. It was a moment, but it made a bigger point: even elite Indian cricketers rely on nothing more exotic than consistent, correctly applied sunscreen.

The Real Lesson: It Is Consistency, Not Complexity

None of these routines involves steps or special ingredients. They are really simple. Come down to three daily habits:

• Cleansing your skin before and after you are in the sun to get rid of sweat, dust, and oil.
• Using a sunscreen that works well even when you sweat, as the kind athletes use, which is usually SPF 50
• Putting sunscreen on again every hour, not just in the morning

For people who live in Kolkata and have to go out in the heat and humidity every day, this is a much better way to take care of your skin than what you see on social media. Because it is made for people who cannot stay out of the sun.

When The Sun Does More Than Just Give You A Tan

If you do not protect your skin from the sun, or if you do not do it regularly, it can cause a lot of problems. Over time, it can make your skin look uneven, cause acne and breakouts, especially if you have sensitive skin, and make old acne scars look worse because the sun makes the scar tissue darker than the rest of your skin. We see this a lot at our skin care clinic. People who had their acne under control. Then their scars got worse after being in the sun all summer without protection.

The good thing is that we can treat this. Depending on how deep the scars are and what kind of scars they are, we can use things like chemical peels, microneedling, laser treatments, or a combination of these to make the scars look better and make your skin look more even. But the results will last longer if you also protect your skin from the sun every day, just like athletes do with sunscreen and consistent skin care habits, which is really important for people with acne scars and skin problems.

A Simple Routine You Can Borrow

• Apply a broad-spectrum SPF 30–50 sunscreen every morning, rain or shine.
• Reapply every 3–4 hours if you’re outdoors for extended periods.
• Cleanse thoroughly after sun exposure to prevent clogged pores.
• Use antioxidant-rich serums (like vitamin C) to support skin repair.
• Get pigmentation or scarring assessed early, before it sets in more deeply.

Final Word

Whether it’s a cricketer facing a full day under the sun or someone simply commuting through Kolkata’s heat, the principle is the same: consistent protection prevents far more damage than any treatment can undo later. If sun exposure has left you with tanning, pigmentation, or acne scars that home care hasn’t been able to fix, it’s worth getting a professional opinion rather than guessing.

At La Derma, widely regarded among the best dermatologist in Kolkata for skin and hair concerns, our clinic is owned and managed by Dr. Khushbu Tantia, a dermatologist who has helped thousands of patients address sun damage, pigmentation, and scarring with treatment plans suited to Indian skin. If your skin hasn’t been the same since summer, book a consultation and get a routine that actually works for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need sunscreen if I am not an athlete?

I do not necessarily need sunscreen; however, I want sunscreen to be effective for my protection. This means that I want sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection and SPF of 30+. Moreover, the sunscreen must feel good on my skin. If I have to apply a small amount again, then this is what matters for the daily sun protection of my skin.

Can sun exposure really make acne scars worse?

Yes, sun exposure can make acne scars worse. When my skin is healing, the sun’s rays can make my skin produce pigment. This can make my scars look darker and more noticeable than they would be if I were not in the sun.

What can be done for tanning and pigmentation that will not go away with home remedies?

If I have tanning or pigmentation that will not go away with home remedies, I should see a professional. The professional will figure out what is causing the problem, whether it is sun damage, hormones, or acne. Then the professional can give me the treatment, which could be something like a peel or laser therapy to help my skin look better.