Cricket unites more than one billion Indian citizens, die-hard fans who count the days until their national team takes center stage in Australia and New Zealand. Deepika Padukone, one of India’s most recognizable faces, is among them.
In a candid pictorial captured by renowned photographer Bharat Sikka, Padukone and fellow cricket devotees from around the country share their passion for sport, cricket and Team India while wearing the new Team India jersey. Signature blue, the uniform is part of the kit the national team players will don when they embark on this spring’s campaign to reassert their claim to cricket’s ultimate prize.
This isn’t Padukone’s first foray into sport. She comes from a lineage of badminton world champions. Before taking to the silver screen the world-renowned actress also competed at the national level. Her experience as an elite athlete fostered a deep belief in and admiration for the power of sport.
“As a cricket fan and active athlete, I felt a great sense of pride when I first put on the national team jersey. Cricket is the biggest sport in India and the passion for the game is incredible across the country,” said Padukone. “Like every cricket fan, I look forward to great success for Team India in 2015.”
Sikka, known for captivating portraits and landscapes that communicate an authentic, contemporary vision of India, eloquently captures the fervor and anticipation of Team India in a portrayal that necessarily includes the blue of Team India’s cricket uniform. The emblematic hue expresses the pulse of the nation. The power of blue extends beyond the few players who will take the pitch to the country’s cricket fans, inviting them to share in the honor and national pride that comes with wearing the blue jersey and sounding the #bleedblue rallying cry.
Team India kits are now available at select Nike India retail and through nike.com.
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