The New Zealand cricket team will wear a special limited-edition jersey during their upcoming ODI series against India to commemorate 100 years of sporting ties between the two countries.
Named the ‘Kotahitanga’ ODI shirt, the jersey brings together Indian and Maori cultural elements, with the design celebrating the shared history and connection between the two cricketing nations.
The five-match ODI series will begin on 4 November. Cricket (NZC) unveiled the special playing shirt on Saturday, with the Black Caps set to wear it throughout the one-day international series.
The word ‘Kotahitanga’ represents unity, which serves as the central theme of the jersey.
The design combines traditional Maori artwork with motifs drawn from Indian culture and architecture, reflecting how cricket has helped build connections between the two countries over the years.
Three artists — Ben Thomason, a Maori designer and Shiv Narandas and Jai Pancha, two Indian-origin designers — collaborated on the design, bringing distinct cultural influences to the limited-edition shirt.
Thomason incorporated traditional Maori kōwhaiwhai patterns against a backdrop of haehae lines, symbolising the connection between the living and those who have passed away.
The design also pays tribute to the people who have strengthened ties between the two nations and celebrates the bond shared by players, fans and those working behind the scenes.
Narandas and Pancha complemented the Maori artwork with three Indian motifs: the lotus, India’s national flower; a repeating ogee pattern inspired by Indian architecture; and the mandala.
The mandala’s symmetrical structure brings the two artistic traditions together, creating a design that reflects the cultural connections between India and New Zealand.
Glenn Critchley, the Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer of NZC, spoke on the official launch of the special jersey.
“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 , and we hope this shirt will be a collector’s item treasured by New Zealand and fans for years to come,” he told as per a New Zealand Cricket press release.
‘s tour of New Zealand will begin with a five-match T20I series that gets underway on 22 October.
That series will conclude on 1 November in Hamilton, with the ODI series beginning in Auckland three days later. The ODI series will be followed by a two-match Test series that gets underway with the first Test in Wellington on 19 November.
