New Zealand Cricket launches special jersey for upcoming India tour to mark 100-year ties

New Zealand Cricket has released a limited-edition Kotahitanga ODI shirt ahead of India's tour to the country in October and November. The tour includes five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Tests. New Zealand Cricket stated the shirt celebrates two cultures bound by cricket to mark 100 years of sporting ties between Aotearoa and India.

Shirt Design

Artists Ben Thomason, Shiv Narandas, and Jai Pancha designed the jersey together. Thomason added Maori kowhaiwhai patterns and haehae lines, while Narandas and Pancha used Indian motifs like the lotus flower, a repeating ogee pattern, and mandala art to match with Maori designs.

Squad Details

Mitchell Santner will lead a full-strength New Zealand squad for the ODI series. The matches begin with five T20Is starting on October 22, followed by five ODIs and two Tests. Rachin Ravindra returns to the side after missing the T20I squad due to a freak injury during a promotional ad shoot.

Context

Sporting ties between India and New Zealand began in 1926 when an Indian Army hockey team toured the country, while the first cricket match between them took place in 1955. Commemorative sportswear allows sports boards to celebrate historic bilateral relations and engage fans through cultural storytelling.