Nike, the official apparel sponsor for Team India, unveiled the team's new national attire for the ICC World Cup 2007 on Tuesday.
The kit was made public at a press conference, attended by some team members -- captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Dinesh Kaarthick, Zaheer Khan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and S Sreesanth -- and senior officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Speaking at the unveiling, BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi said: "Great cricket is inspiring, on the street and in the stadium, and we are here today to celebrate the game that is India's passion.
"Today we equip our players with world-class kitting for them to perform at the highest level."
The colours of the graphics on the new jersey take inspiration from the Indian flag and represent speed and motion.
Sanjay Mehra, General Manager, Nike India, said, "This truly is a defining moment for us. We have brought Nike's global expertise and experience to the game of cricket, the result of which is the National Team kit -- our tribute to Indian cricket."
The jersey is made from Dri-FIT fabric, a Nike patented technology, which reduces cling and enables the skin to breathe better. The fabric is designed to dry sweat, which leads to better moisture management and is extremely light, so that the player isn't carrying additional weight that may hamper performance.
Over the period of the match, this means greater comfort, as the players remain drier and less distracted. The engineered mesh at the back of the jersey and under the collar ensures better breath-ability in the high sweat zones
The launch of the national team kit follows the premium performance cricket footwear -- the Air Zoom Yorker for fast bowlers and the Air Zoom Opener for batsmen -- that was launched by Nike in August 2006.
Photograph: Uday Kuckian
