The second season of the Air India Super League reached a vibrant finale in New Delhi on February 15, 2026, bringing together travel trade and cargo partners from across India in a high-energy cricket tournament that doubled as a powerful relationship-building platform. Played at the Vinay Marg Sports Complex in Chanakyapuri, the event showcased not only the sporting skills of teams from leading travel management companies, online travel agencies and logistics operators, but also the growing importance of experiential engagement in the country’s aviation and cargo ecosystem.
A Pan India Tournament Designed Around Partnerships
Launched in 2025 as a dedicated cricket league for travel partners, the Air India Super League returned in 2026 with a wider footprint and a new cargo edition, underscoring the airline’s strategic focus on its broader partner network. Season 2 drew more than 70 teams from across India, representing a mix of travel agencies, tour operators, consolidators, travel technology firms and cargo service providers. Over 60 matches were played in this edition, spread across metro hubs that form the backbone of India’s aviation and logistics connectivity.
Regional rounds were staged in Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Mumbai, cities that serve as key sales and distribution markets for Air India and major gateways for both domestic and international traffic. The winners and top performers from these regional fixtures advanced to New Delhi for the national semi finals and finals. By mirroring the airline’s own route network and commercial geography, the tournament gave partners in multiple cities a tangible, local stake in a nationwide event.
From the outset, organizers emphasized that the league was designed as much around camaraderie as competition. Air India positioned the tournament as a platform to “celebrate partnerships beyond the boardroom,” bringing together stakeholders who typically interact in meeting rooms, contract negotiations and sales reviews, and inviting them to connect in a completely different setting. The result was a mix of spirited rivalry on the field and visible solidarity off it, as teams cheered not only their own colleagues but also peers from rival firms.
A Stunning Finale Weekend in New Delhi
The culmination of this pan India cricket journey took place over a packed weekend at the Vinay Marg Sports Complex in Delhi’s diplomatic enclave. The grounds, normally used by local clubs and community leagues, took on the presence of a national sporting festival as trade and cargo teams converged from across the country. Colorful team jerseys, corporate banners and enthusiastic cheering sections from partner organizations gave the complex the feel of a compact multi city championship stage.
On February 15, 2026, the travel partner category reached its climax with a tightly scheduled series of knockout games leading into the grand final. Matches were played in a five over format that encouraged aggressive batting and inventive bowling, ensuring that every over carried high stakes drama. Short game windows also meant more teams could be featured in a single day, maximizing engagement for players and spectators.
The cargo edition, which had begun its fixtures in January across Bengaluru and Delhi, also converged on the capital for its own decisive matches. Cargo teams took to one of the complexes in parallel with the travel trade fixtures, ensuring that both sides of Air India’s partner ecosystem were visible and celebrated during the finale. The packed schedule meant that spectators could watch alternating matches between travel and cargo teams, highlighting how both sectors contribute to the airline’s performance.
Travel High Titans and Ceva Take Top Honors
By the end of the weekend, two names stood out from the field of competitors. In the travel partner category, Travel High Titans secured the championship title, adding a second major win to their record after having also clinched the inaugural Air India Super League trophy in 2025. In the cargo category, Ceva, representing the global logistics and freight brand, emerged as the winner following a series of confident performances in the short format.
The travel final saw Travel High Titans face Brightsun Jets in a five over contest that underlined the attacking brand of cricket that has come to define the league. Travel High Titans amassed a commanding total through a combination of boundary hitting and quick running between the wickets, and followed it up with disciplined bowling that restricted their opponents and delivered a winning margin of more than 30 runs. The result affirmed the Titans’ status as consistent performers in this corporate cricket environment.
On the cargo side, Ceva’s path to the title included a tense semi final outing at Vinay Marg Sports Complex, where the team defended a modest total with tight bowling and sharp fielding. Over the course of the cargo tournament, Ceva’s players showcased a well balanced side that combined reliable top order batting with a varied bowling attack suited to the power-hitting nature of five over games. Their eventual victory in the cargo final was celebrated as a milestone moment for the debut edition of the freight and logistics stream.
Showcasing Talent From Across the Travel and Cargo Spectrum
One of the standout aspects of the Air India Super League has been the quality of cricket on display from industry professionals whose day jobs lie far from professional sport. Across both categories, players demonstrated a high level of fitness, skill and tactical understanding, reflecting the growing popularity of competitive amateur cricket leagues in corporate India. Many participating organizations fielded balanced squads featuring experienced recreational cricketers alongside younger employees eager to make their mark.
The structure of the tournament, with regional rounds feeding into national fixtures, gave players a rare opportunity to test themselves in pressure situations in front of sizeable crowds and live cameras. Performers in roles such as top order batters, death over specialists, agile fielders in the deep and inventive captains all stepped into the spotlight. For many participants, the recognition they received through medals, trophies and match awards was a career highlight, regularly celebrated on internal communication channels and social media platforms.
The league offered a comprehensive awards framework that acknowledged individual and team achievement. Beyond the overall championship trophies for Travel High Titans and Ceva, Air India and its organizing partners handed out honors for Man of the Match performances, Best Fielder, Most Catches and the coveted Player of the Tournament in each category. The Round Robin Winner trophies presented to top regional teams further ensured that strong early phase performances were recognized, even for sides that did not make it all the way to the national title.
Cricket as a Strategic Engagement Tool for Air India
Behind the colorful visuals and enthusiastic celebrations, the Air India Super League reflects a deeper strategic agenda for the airline. As Air India continues its multi year transformation program, including fleet renewal, product upgrades and network expansion, its relationships with travel intermediaries and cargo partners are more crucial than ever. These partners are central to driving passenger volumes, optimizing yield and expanding distribution reach, as well as facilitating efficient movement of freight across domestic and international routes.
Cricket, with its unique status in India’s cultural and corporate life, provides a natural medium for engagement. By creating an annual, branded tournament that partners can plan for, train for and proudly represent, Air India is building an emotional connection that goes beyond traditional incentive schemes and business reviews. The shared experience of playing and watching the games can support loyalty to the airline, foster informal networks between different organizations and create a sense of belonging to a wider Air India ecosystem.
Senior leaders at Air India have pointed to the league as an important touchpoint in their wider sales and partnership strategy. The tournament format encourages cross functional engagement, with sales managers, operations staff, account executives and back office professionals often sharing the same dressing room. This mirrors the airline’s own push toward more integrated teams internally, with a focus on collaboration, customer centricity and high performance.
The Debut of the Cargo Edition and Its Industry Significance
The 2026 edition of the Super League marked the first time that Air India extended the concept to its cargo partners, recognizing the central role that freight plays in the airline’s revenue mix and its value to global trade. The cargo league brought together logistics firms, freight forwarders and express operators that regularly utilize Air India’s bellyhold capacity and dedicated freighter services. By dedicating an entire stream of the tournament to cargo, the airline sent a clear message that it views these partners as integral collaborators in its growth story.
For cargo stakeholders, whose operations often span night-time flight windows, complex regulatory environments and intricate supply chains, the opportunity to participate in a high-visibility sporting event provided a welcome platform for team building and brand expression. Jerseys bearing the logos of logistics companies took the field, many supported by colleagues from warehousing, customs clearance and freight sales teams who rarely feature in headline corporate events.
The addition of cargo also broadened the conversations taking place on the sidelines of the matches. Between overs and during innings breaks, representatives discussed not only passenger sales and fares, but also transit times, cargo handling innovations, digital tracking tools and opportunities for new trade lanes. In this way, the league has begun to act as an informal forum where passenger and cargo conversations can intersect, highlighting synergies between the two segments.
Digital Reach and Live Streaming Across India
Although the stadium at Vinay Marg Sports Complex could accommodate only a limited number of on-site spectators, Air India ensured that the Super League’s reach extended far beyond the boundary ropes. All matches from the 2026 edition were live streamed on a dedicated YouTube channel, allowing families, colleagues and industry peers across India to tune in. Short match formats and condensed schedules translated well to digital platforms, generating highlight reels and shareable clips that continued to circulate beyond match day.
For participants, the live stream element heightened both excitement and accountability. Knowing that their performance could be watched in real time by senior management, clients and friends added a layer of motivation. For Air India and its partners, the digital broadcasts doubled as a subtle branding exercise, showcasing company identities, team spirit and the airline’s investment in fostering a dynamic community around its brand.
Many travel agencies and cargo firms amplified the tournament by posting behind the scenes footage, team photographs and result updates on their own social media channels. This multicentric content stream turned the league into a broader industry talking point, with partners proud to highlight their association with the airline and their on-field performances.
Positioning Within a Broader Trade and Tourism Push
The successful conclusion of the Air India Super League 2026 comes at a time when the airline is actively reinforcing its presence across trade fairs and tourism platforms. In recent weeks, Air India has participated in major industry gatherings such as the Outbound Travel Mart in Mumbai, where it showcased network developments and product enhancements to travel trade professionals. The carrier is also preparing to feature prominently at the upcoming South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange 2026, one of the region’s key trade events.
Against this backdrop, the Super League functions as a complementary initiative, offering a more informal yet deeply engaging channel to connect with the same stakeholders. While trade shows focus on business meetings, product briefings and commercial negotiations, the cricket league operates in a parallel space of shared experiences and storytelling. Together, they form a dual strategy that aligns commercial objectives with relationship capital.
Industry observers note that as India’s aviation market becomes more competitive, airlines are increasingly turning to experiential marketing and community building to differentiate themselves. By institutionalizing the Super League as an annual fixture, and now enlarging it to include cargo, Air India is staking out a distinctive position as a carrier willing to invest in the emotional and social dimensions of its partnerships, alongside conventional commercial frameworks.
What the 2026 Edition Signals for the Future
The 2026 finale in Delhi signaled that the Air India Super League is evolving from a novel engagement idea into a recurring institution on the travel and cargo calendar. The strong participation numbers, the repeat success of teams like Travel High Titans, and the enthusiastic debut of the cargo stream all point to a format with room to grow. Organizers and partners are already informally discussing areas for evolution, including potential women’s teams, expanded regional circuits and thematic matches aligned with sustainability or community causes.
For Air India, the league’s success will likely influence how it thinks about other touchpoints with partners and customers. The tournament demonstrates that carefully curated, sport-based platforms can generate significant goodwill, internal pride and public visibility at relatively contained cost compared to large scale advertising campaigns. It also offers rich storytelling material, from underdog victories to standout individual performances, that the airline and its partners can draw upon in their communications throughout the year.
As teams and organizers return from Delhi to their respective offices across India, the conversations that began on the sidelines of the pitch are expected to continue in meeting rooms and video calls. Contracts will still be negotiated and cargo loads still optimized, but the memory of shared victories and narrow defeats in the Air India Super League 2026 will add an extra layer of connection. In a fast changing aviation and logistics landscape, that relational strength may prove to be one of the league’s most enduring contributions.