NIKE’S TEAM INDIA JERSEY EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF SELF-BELIEF
Bangalore (January 12, 2017) — In a country obsessed with cricket, the Indian cricket team jersey has always been a symbol of the nation’s support for the men and women in blue. From streets to stadiums, the jersey symbolizes the pride for millions of cricket fans and provides inspiration to thousands of young cricketers who aspire to represent the country at the world stage.
To inspire young athletes to play sport, the Indian national team members give us a sneak peek into their early challenges and how their self-belief helped them unleash their true potential and be who they are today.
Virat Kohli, Captain, Indian Cricket team tells us why he thinks sport and life should be treated the same way.
“We have always been told to treat life and sport differently, which is very wrong. On the field, we are encouraged to take risks but then in life you need to be safe! It’s a huge gap that needs to be bridged. Cricket has taught me everything I know about life. I truly believe that sport helps shape your character as an individual; all you need is to believe in yourself. The self-belief that I learnt on the field makes me believe that I can accomplish anything on or off the field.”
Harmanpreet Kaur, Captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket team (T20’s) remembers her struggle of trying to find 11 girls in the small town of Moga to make a team and define her future.
“I started playing cricket with the boys and I loved the sport from the first time I held a bat. People didn’t want me to play cricket, they said you don’t have a future in it. Surrendering under pressure I attended a hockey camp but that just reinstated my love for cricket. I believed I could play for the Indian team one day; but first I needed to play in a women’s team to get noticed. The biggest struggle was to get 11 girls on the field to make a team; I remember even coaching the girls at every practice session.”
The game has evolved; so have the requirements of the game and the needs of the athletes. Nike designers engaged with the Indian cricket team athletes to help understand their demands to create the most innovative team kit for Team India.
The key feature in the new kit includes ‘4D Quickness’. This feature provides multi-directional and multi-dimensional stretch for quickness along with tuned breathability that helps with temperature regulation to keep athletes cool.
Says MS Dhoni - “The game has been evolving over the years and the need to have kits that are designed to suit the modern game has always been the priority for the team management and Nike. Features like the 4D quickness and Zero distractions will definitely help the team on the field.”
The Zero distractions feature on the new kit is designed to help minimize distractions and maximize performance on the field.
Nike’s new ODI jersey will be available across select Nike retail across India starting January 12, 2017.
Read more about Team India athletes and their stories…
R.Ashwin, recently awarded ‘Cricketer of the year’ and ‘Test cricketer of the Year’, recalls his defining moment that helped him believe he could be the part of the Indian cricket team.
“At the age of 21, I signed my first contract in the T20 league. My teachers, friends and family expected me to let go off my engineering dream and focus on just cricket. The last couple of years before that had been a struggle to maintain sport and studies efficiently. Cricket has given me the self-belief and confidence that I can do anything I put my head to. It would have been easy to just focus on my cricket, but then today I wouldn’t have been an engineer who plays for the Indian Cricket team.”
Ajinkya Rahane, believes that an innings in his early days defines the athlete he is today – relentless, persistent and full of confidence to take on the world.
“I was playing for the Mumbai team, the pitch was hard to bat on and the odds were against the team and me. I remember batting for hours together, building my innings ball by ball and eventually saving the game for my side. What I didn’t realize that day was that I was playing the innings of my life. That innings gave me the confidence and self-belief that I can represent my country one day.”
Manish Pandey, talks about what kept him motivated while waiting for his chance to represent the country.
In India, cricket is a religion and that’s why millions of kids like me grow up with the dream to play for their country. I knew I was performing well in the domestic circuit; my biggest motivation was to work hard on and off the pitch to be a better version of myself each day. I just had to be patient and keep dreaming of wearing that blue jersey one day and I knew that day would come.
Smriti Mandana, tells us how a 16 year old girl played for the senior team and scored 155 runs.
I got picked to play for the senior state women’s team at the age of 16 against Saurashtra. The pressure was immense and it wasn’t easy but I managed to stay focused, and score 155 runs in that innings. At the end of that game everything changed for me; as an athlete and an individual. I had a terrific season that year - I got picked for the zonal games and people even started talking about this young girl who is playing some really good cricket for Maharashtra.”
Bangalore (January 12, 2017) — In a country obsessed with cricket, the Indian cricket team jersey has always been a symbol of the nation’s support for the men and women in blue. From streets to stadiums, the jersey symbolizes the pride for millions of cricket fans and provides inspiration to thousands of young cricketers who aspire to represent the country at the world stage.
To inspire young athletes to play sport, the Indian national team members give us a sneak peek into their early challenges and how their self-belief helped them unleash their true potential and be who they are today.
Virat Kohli, Captain, Indian Cricket team tells us why he thinks sport and life should be treated the same way.
“We have always been told to treat life and sport differently, which is very wrong. On the field, we are encouraged to take risks but then in life you need to be safe! It’s a huge gap that needs to be bridged. Cricket has taught me everything I know about life. I truly believe that sport helps shape your character as an individual; all you need is to believe in yourself. The self-belief that I learnt on the field makes me believe that I can accomplish anything on or off the field.”
Harmanpreet Kaur, Captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket team (T20’s) remembers her struggle of trying to find 11 girls in the small town of Moga to make a team and define her future.
“I started playing cricket with the boys and I loved the sport from the first time I held a bat. People didn’t want me to play cricket, they said you don’t have a future in it. Surrendering under pressure I attended a hockey camp but that just reinstated my love for cricket. I believed I could play for the Indian team one day; but first I needed to play in a women’s team to get noticed. The biggest struggle was to get 11 girls on the field to make a team; I remember even coaching the girls at every practice session.”
The game has evolved; so have the requirements of the game and the needs of the athletes. Nike designers engaged with the Indian cricket team athletes to help understand their demands to create the most innovative team kit for Team India.
The key feature in the new kit includes ‘4D Quickness’. This feature provides multi-directional and multi-dimensional stretch for quickness along with tuned breathability that helps with temperature regulation to keep athletes cool.
Says MS Dhoni - “The game has been evolving over the years and the need to have kits that are designed to suit the modern game has always been the priority for the team management and Nike. Features like the 4D quickness and Zero distractions will definitely help the team on the field.”
The Zero distractions feature on the new kit is designed to help minimize distractions and maximize performance on the field.
Nike’s new ODI jersey will be available across select Nike retail across India starting January 12, 2017.
Read more about Team India athletes and their stories…
R.Ashwin, recently awarded ‘Cricketer of the year’ and ‘Test cricketer of the Year’, recalls his defining moment that helped him believe he could be the part of the Indian cricket team.
“At the age of 21, I signed my first contract in the T20 league. My teachers, friends and family expected me to let go off my engineering dream and focus on just cricket. The last couple of years before that had been a struggle to maintain sport and studies efficiently. Cricket has given me the self-belief and confidence that I can do anything I put my head to. It would have been easy to just focus on my cricket, but then today I wouldn’t have been an engineer who plays for the Indian Cricket team.”
Ajinkya Rahane, believes that an innings in his early days defines the athlete he is today – relentless, persistent and full of confidence to take on the world.
“I was playing for the Mumbai team, the pitch was hard to bat on and the odds were against the team and me. I remember batting for hours together, building my innings ball by ball and eventually saving the game for my side. What I didn’t realize that day was that I was playing the innings of my life. That innings gave me the confidence and self-belief that I can represent my country one day.”
Manish Pandey, talks about what kept him motivated while waiting for his chance to represent the country.
In India, cricket is a religion and that’s why millions of kids like me grow up with the dream to play for their country. I knew I was performing well in the domestic circuit; my biggest motivation was to work hard on and off the pitch to be a better version of myself each day. I just had to be patient and keep dreaming of wearing that blue jersey one day and I knew that day would come.
Smriti Mandana, tells us how a 16 year old girl played for the senior team and scored 155 runs.
I got picked to play for the senior state women’s team at the age of 16 against Saurashtra. The pressure was immense and it wasn’t easy but I managed to stay focused, and score 155 runs in that innings. At the end of that game everything changed for me; as an athlete and an individual. I had a terrific season that year - I got picked for the zonal games and people even started talking about this young girl who is playing some really good cricket for Maharashtra.”