The Blackcaps have unveiled a limited-edition shirt to mark 100 years of sporting ties between New Zealand and India.
The team will wear the shirt during the upcoming Hero Vida ODI series, powered by AI+ Nova Smartphone.
Artists Ben Thomason, Shiv Narandas and Jai Pancha collaborated on the design, which brings together Māori and Indian cultures through their shared love of cricket.
Thomason wove Māori kōwhaiwhai patterns over a background of haehae lines. The design connects the living with those who have passed, honours the people who built the bond between the two nations and celebrates what it means to players, fans and those working behind the scenes.
Narandas and Pancha used three Indian motifs as unifying elements: the lotus, India’s national flower, a repeating ogee pattern inspired by Indian architecture and the mandala, which provides a symmetrical framework that aligns naturally with Māori design systems.
Unity bewteen two nations
NZC chief marketing and commercial officer Glenn Critchley says that the shirt celebrated the power of sport in connecting cultures.
“We’re absolutely wrapped with the design. The artists have created a beautiful balance between a distinct Māori design and a distinct Indian design that speaks to the bond between our nations.
“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.”
A meaningful project
Thomason says Kotahitanga was the guiding principle of the shirt’s design. “The brief said unity and I think the design encompasses that wholeheartedly.”
Narandas says it was a meaningful project to work on. “This shirt feels like a journey of our life here. I hope that everyone can feel the energy that’s been put into this project and they can wear the shirt with pride.”
The limited-edition Blackcaps Kotahitanga ODI shirt is available online as well as at selected Rebel Sport NZ stores and other retailers.
The Hero Vida India tour of New Zealand, powered by AI+ Nova Smartphone gets underway on October 22.
The post Limited-edition Blackcaps Kotahitanga ODI shirt unveiled appeared first on stoppress.co.nz.
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