Rating the ICC World T20 2016 team jerseys

The game of cricket has come a long way from the days of only white jerseys to colourful jerseys in the last quarter of the last century. The limited-over format was the main reason behind the coloured jerseys.As time passed the game evolved immensely and developed a different format altogether. The Twenty20 format was initially formulated to bring back the crowd in the game at the start of this century. As it became very popular among the spectators, ICC organized the inaugural World T20 in 2007.Time has flown as India prepares to hold the sixth edition of the World T20 this month. The evolution of the jerseys has also come a long way. Every team’s kit makers made different jerseys for this particular world event every time. The unveiling of these jerseys has also gained a significant amount of media attention.Every team wants to have a good jersey to flaunt in the high-profile tournament. We rate the jerseys of the top eight nations in the upcoming World T20:

#1 West Indies 5/10

Darren Sammy posing with the new West Indies jersey

The Caribbean swaggered into the World Series Cricket wearing pink back in the days when they use to dominate the world. The current crop of players who have brought back glory by winning the T20 title in 2012 have opted for a dark maroon with golden lettering, collar and cuffs as they seek their second World T20 title in India.

The 2016 kit is a darker maroon but similar to that worn in 2014 and during their triumph in 2012. But it is not even close to the colourful combination they sported when hosting the event back in 2010. Maybe this jersey will be accessorized with heavy gold chains and some expensive watches by the current swaggers.

#2 Australia 5.5/10

Steve Smith in Australia’s World T20 kit

The Australian cricket team will again wear a black strip in the World T20as they seek to claim the one global trophy that is missing from the collection of their men’s team.

It is the same jersey that Australia wore in January’s KFC T20 INTL series lost against India. But this time, the jersey makers have made some subtle changes to appease International Cricket Council regulations.

The Australian men’s cricket team have won every global trophy except the T20 title wearing their traditional colors gold and green. However, black was deemed as Australia’s colour of choice for the world event this time.

A lighter shade of green has been added to the sides of Australia’s black dominating World T20 jersey. Australia had also used black jerseys in the past two World T20 championships.

#3 Pakistan 6/10

Players posing in Pakistan’s World T20 kit

If playing the World in your arch-rivals home wasn’t tough enough, the tag of never beating them in a World Cup also added the pressure on the Pakistani team. Their delayed arrival to India has delayed the unveiling of their official team kit.

They will once again wear an all-green jersey in the upcoming world event. It marks a return to Pakistan’s more traditional colours. In previous events, they have explored the green colour spectrum.

Gone are the tinges of blue on the sleeves and hemline of the shirt they wore in the Asia Cup with a clean green scheme and a subtle hint of the heraldic star on the lower shirt front. The zipper is also a unique touch.

#4 England 6.5/10

Joe Root models in England’s World T20 jersey

The England cricket team have had more costume changes than a Hollywood film-star over the years in the shortest format. Red shirt and blue pants, the all-navy and a lighter shade of blue all being tried and dispensed with for the first three World T20s.

They have now completed the full circle, as they have ultimately returned to the all red 2007 jersey. This time albeit with a brighter shade and bordered by blue with everything is written in white. The jersey looks really nice and with the traditional blue trousers.

#5 New Zealand 7/10

Tim Southee poses in New Zealand’s World T20 jersey

The Blackcaps have made some bold choices over the years for their T20 jerseys. Black has always been a constant, but they have experimented with gold, grey, blue and even teal several points.

But they've ditched all of those colours for the 2016 World T20, which sees the Black Caps make a daring return in beige. The new jersey adds a different mode to their traditional beige they used to wear in mid 2000 with a new addition of black sleeves.

The new colour gives the Kiwis a smart look with the essence of their good old times. The New Zealand team will play without their recently retired captain Brendon McCullum as they surge for their first world title.

#6 South Africa 7.5/10

AB de Villers during South Africa’s last series against Australia

South Africa along with Australia and Pakistan were the last teams to arrive in India for the World T20. South Africa just finished the series against Australia on Thursday morning.

Their delayed arrival means there’s no official jersey launch yet. The uniform the Proteas will wear in the World T20 is ostensibly the same with South Africa across the chest instead of the sponsor.

The yellow dominated shirt looks very different from all the previous jerseys and the newly crafted green stripes add to the apple of it. However, green trouser remains as a constant in Three Lion’s jersey.

#7 Sri Lanka 8/10

Sri Lanka’s new two jerseys for the World T20

Sri Lanka unveiled not one but two new and very colourful jerseys ahead of the World T20. One is presumably a “clash” outfit and which team they wore it against remains to be seen. Kit designers have slapped a rainbow across the shirt front.

The jersey looks very good and new and the use of various colours unveiling the thrill and colours of the shorter version of the game. Both the jerseys look very stylish and will hopefully boost the struggling team to perform better in India.

#8 India 8.5/10

India men’s and women’s cricketers posing in India’s World T20 jersey

World T20 favourites, India have been a model of consistency off the field, donning subtle variations of blue shades across the five previous tournaments.

For the 2007 World T20, they donned a light blue jersey and since then they've maintained a darker shade, somewhere between azure and cerulean.

This current kit which team India will wear in the World T20 is interspersed with stripes of orange at the top of their shirts and has to expand concentric blue circles emanating from the badge on the left chest. There is also a hint of blue-green checks at the bottom left of the shirt and orange piping on the pants pocket seams.

The jersey looks really cool as MS Dhoni’s men eyeing to get their hands on the trophy for the second time. If India wins, it will be the first time when a host nation will lift the T20 title.

Yuvraj Singh wearing the new jersey