Ranking India's 5 best ODI jerseys of this century
India have been a powerhouse in ODI cricket for years. They were only the second nation to lift the ODI World Cup in 1983, and to date, remain the only team to have won the 50-over World Cup (2011) as well as the 60-over World Cup.
One of the main reasons behind India's success in ODI cricket has been the abundance of talent in the country. The competition to break into the Indian ODI team is cut-throat, and even the players who perform well sometimes lose their spots.
Naturally, when a team performs so well, they have a huge fan following, and so does the Indian team. The massive fanbase ensures that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) regularly cracks huge sponsorship deals for the jersey. Over the years, several world-class sports apparel brands have designed India's kits for the 50-over format. Here's a ranking of the top five Indian ODI jerseys of this century.
Ranking India's 5 best ODI jerseys of this century
#5 India's 2023 ODI World Cup jersey
Adidas joined the BCCI as the official kit designer in 2023, and the sports apparel giant designed a fantastic kit for the World Cup, hosted by India. It was the same as the blue jersey that India wore for the Asia Cup, but the three lines on the shoulders had the Indian tricolor instead of white.
Overall, the jersey looked brilliant. Thousands of jerseys were sold during the mega event as the entire stadium would turn blue whenever India played a match.
#4 India's latest jersey
A few days ago, Adidas unveiled a brand-new jersey for the Indian team. Similar to the 2023 World Cup kit, it has the tricolor on the shoulders, but this time, the tricolor has better visibility and the stripes are white.
The Indian women's team will be the first to wear this jersey when they compete in a home series against the West Indies. Former BCCI secretary Jay Shah unveiled this beautiful jersey along with Indian women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
#3 India's retro kit of 2020-21
The 1992 World Cup was the first to be played with teams wearing colored jerseys. Team India's jersey designer of 2020, MPL, decided to bring that 1992 kit back for the 2020-21 season.
India wore the retro kit for the away series against Australia in 2020, and then against England and Sri Lanka in 2021. The jersey was perfectly designed, giving retro vibes to the 1990s cricket fans.
#2 India's 2011 World Cup jersey
Regarded by many as one of the best jerseys in cricket history, India's 2011 World Cup kit holds the second place on this list. The Men in Blue co-hosted the World Cup with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2011.
Nike designed the kit for the BCCI. It had 'INDIA' boldly written in the center, with a perfect blend of blue and orange shades. The touch of Indian tricolor on the sides gave the jersey a brilliant look. Winning the 2011 World Cup made it extra special for fans.
#1 India's 2003 World Cup jersey
Without a doubt, the best jersey designed for the Indian side this century was for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. Playing under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy, India qualified for the finals of that mega event.
A complete light blue shade, plus the black stripes and the tricolor in the lower half of the jersey made it look perfect. Perhaps, India should bring this jersey back for a retro look in the near future.