New Zealand unveils special jersey for India ODI series to mark 100 years of sporting ties between two nations

New Zealand will wear a limited-edition Kotahitanga ODI shirt during the upcoming series against India. | Photo Credit: New Zealand Cricket

New Zealand will wear a special jersey during the upcoming home ODI series against India to commemorate 100 years of sporting ties between the two countries.

“The limited-edition BLACKCAPS Kotahitanga ODI Shirt represents two cultures bound together by their love for cricket with a design that celebrates the shared history and respect between New Zealand and India,” said New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in an official statement.

Artists Ben Thomason (Ngāti Raukawa ki Te Tonga), Shiv Narandas (Gujarat), and Jai Pancha (Gujarat), collaborated on the shirt design which represents and intertwines both nation’s cultures.

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Thomason weaved Māori kōwhaiwhai patterns over a background of haehae lines to connect the living with those who have passed, honour the people who built the bond between the nations, and celebrate what it means to players, fans and those behind the scenes.

Narandas and Pancha used three Indian motifs as the unifying elements; the lotus - India’s national flower, a repeating ogee pattern drawn from Indian architecture, and the mandala to provide a symmetrical framework aligning naturally with Māori design systems.

NZC Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Glenn Critchley said, “Sport underpins the unity between New Zealand and India and we hope this shirt will be a collector’s item treasured by New Zealand and Indian cricket fans for years to come.”

The India tour of New Zealand gets underway with the five-match T20I series on October 22, which will be followed by five ODIs beginning November 4.