India cricket team plays Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup 2023 match at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14, Saturday. There are media reports floating that India are going to sport another jersey for the clash against the arch-rivals in the epic clash. Historically, India have not sported two jerseys in a single tournament, except in 2019.
Other teams sport a different coloured jerseys in World Cups when the the opposition team is also wearing the same colour as them. For example, when Bangladesh and Pakistan play each other, then on one them will shed the green colour for once. This is to ensure that the fans, watching on TV and on the field, are able to recognise the team by their jerseys.
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In 2019 World Cup, India sported a dark blue colour with orange on back then while playing England who also had India’s sky blue as their team jersey.
This is not going to be the case with India vs Pakistan clash in the ongoing World Cup 2023.
Ashish Shelar, the honorary treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday that India will not be donning an alternate match kit during their high-octane ICC World Cup clash against Pakistan on October 14.
Innings break!
Australia are all out for 199 courtesy of a solid bowling performance from #TeamIndia __
Ravindra Jadeja the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/28 __
Scorecard __ https://t.co/ToKaGif9ri#CWC23 | #INDvAUS | #MeninBlue pic.twitter.com/TSf9WN4Bkz— BCCI (@BCCI) October 8, 2023
Dismissing the media reports of India wearing an alternate kit for the game, Shelar said in a statement, “We categorically dismiss the media reports that Team India will be donning an alternative match kit against Pakistan. These reports are absolutely baseless and a work of someone’s imagination. The Men in Blue will sport India colours – Blue at ICC Cricket World Cup 2023,” he said.
India and Pakistan have faced each other in several Cricket World Cup matches. In One Day International (ODI) World Cup matches, India and Pakistan have played against each other a total of 7 times in ICC Cricket World Cup tournaments until 2019. India held an advantage in the head-to-head record, having won all of those 7 matches.
The fans will keep a close eye on Virat Kohli’s performance in World Cup. He had a successful World Cup in 2015, accumulating 305 runs in 8 matches at an average of 50.83. He scored one century and two fifties during the tournament. In ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Virat Kohli scored 443 runs in 9 matches at an average of 55.37. Although he did not score a century, he registered five fifties, showcasing his consistency.