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India vs England, ICC World Cup 2019: Virat Kohli reacts to India’s ‘smart’ orange jersey
India vs England, ICC World Cup 2019: Virat Kohli & Co will be wearing an orange-blue jersey to distinguish themselves from hosts England who wear a lighter version of blue.
India captain Virat Kohli, a fashionista off the field, gave a resounding thumbs-up to his team’s new orange jersey which they will be wearing in Sunday’s World Cup group match against England at Edgbaston.
The ‘Men in Blue’ will be wearing an orange-blue jersey to distinguish themselves from hosts England who wear a lighter version of blue.
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The choice of orange has sparked debates back home with some opposition politicians accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist party of pushing its trademark saffron hue on the team.
“I quite like it, I think it’s right up there. For me it would be eight,” Kohli told reporters after being asked to rate the jersey from one to 10.
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“Honestly, I’m not saying it for the sake of it. I really like it. The contrast is very nice.”
Four other teams in the tournament have had to wear a different colours to avoid looking like their opposition.
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Accordingly, blue-shirted Afghanistan opted for red in three of their matches.
South Africa, who usually wear green, chose gold for two matches while Sri Lanka swapped their blue for yellow for a couple of games.
Bangladesh, who were green, will don red in their July 5 match against Pakistan at the Lord’s.
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A stylish batsman on the field and a fashion-conscious celebrity off it, Kohli has designed sneakers in collaboration with sportswear giant Puma.
The 30-year-old satisfied with the fit and welcomed the break from usual blue.
“The fit is great, it’s a nice change,” he said.
“For one game, it’s fine. I don’t think permanently we’d be heading in that direction because blue has always been our colour, very proud to wear that. For a change and looking at the occasion, it’s a very smart kit.”
