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With the World Cup a little over a month away, a new official Team India jersey is on the horizon. Ahead of the launch, MPL Sports, official kit partner of the BCCI, announced a new campaign called #HarFanKiJersey.
With the launch of Har Fan Ki Jersey, MPL Sports invites users to share what makes them a true blue cricket fan. Hence, the unveiling of the jersey will be an integral part of their experience.
A symbol of energy, spirit, and power, the jersey features an equilateral triangle pattern that represents the unswerving support of the fans throughout the years. The combination of petals on the jersey and in the BCCI's insignia symbolizes the loyalty and merit the game demands. Featuring shades of blue, the jersey is a fitting tribute to the champions of the game.
About MPL
Mobile Premier League (MPL) is the world's leading mobile eSports platform that allows users to participate in free as well as paid competitions across 60+ games in multiple categories, including fantasy sports, sports games, puzzle, casual and board games. Founded in 2018, MPL hosts hundreds of millions of tournaments a month and is trusted by over 90 million registered users across Asia, Europe, and North America.
In an exclusive chat about the new jersey and its sales, Sportskeeda caught up with Arun Kumar, head of MPL Sports.
Understanding the Team India Jersey in detail with Arun Kumar
Q. Several excited fans attended the kit launch at Bandra Promenade in Mumbai. Could you tell us more about the idea behind the launch and how it went?
Arun Kumar: While our players give their all on the pitch, the fans are the driving force behind the game. They stand behind the team through thick and thin, and their fandom serves as inspiration and encouragement for Team India to give their best on the field. So when we set out to design the new Team India jersey this year, we were looking for ways to pay homage to their loyalty and support. The launch event, and the entire campaign in general, was our way of putting fans at the centre - to provide them a platform to be an integral part of the jersey and the launch journey like never before.
The launch event of the Team India jersey was the biggest and the first of its kind in Indian cricketing history. We revealed the One Blue Jersey through a majestic 30-foot-tall and 40-foot-wide 3D hologram set against the backdrop of the Mumbai skyline and the Arabian sea. In yet another milestone, for the first time in Indian cricket history, the jersey was unveiled not by the national team, but by the Mumbai Under-19 women’s cricket players. Thousands of fans from Mumbai, and some of the superfans of the Indian cricket team, namely Balbir Chand (@lookalikesachin), Nitin Jain (@sachinsuperfan), Sugumar D (@sportssugumar, ardent fan of Virat Kohli, RCB and Team India), Saravanan Hari (@cricsuperfan), Ram Babu (@ram_babu_msd, a die-hard MS Dhoni fan), Pinto Behera (@Virat18superfan), and Ram Bahadur Diwan (@rambahadurdhawan, a loyal Shikhar Dhawan fan) joined us to mark this memorable moment.
Q. Could you explain the inspiration behind the new Indian team jersey and what the various patterns and colors signify?
Arun Kumar: The jersey is an homage to the fans of the game - their loyalty, love, and support as they stand behind the team through thick and thin, serving as inspiration for the design of the jersey.
The jersey features equilateral triangles on the front and petals on the side. The triangle pattern is a universal symbol of energy, spirit, and power, and on the jersey, they denote the fans’ unwavering support. The petals represent those found in the BCCI’s insignia. With One Blue Jersey, we also went back to our roots by bringing back the iconic and fan-favorite light blue shade.
We named it the One Blue Jersey because it is made for every single fan of the team – across all age groups, genders, social strata, geographies, et al. The story behind the jersey is the story of every Indian cricket fan.
Q. In light of the new campaign by the BCCI and MPL called "#HarFanKiJersey", what is the inspiration behind it, and how has it been received by the fans? With interactive elements like a unique referral code and the opportunity to become a superfan, the fans have become more excited about the campaign. What was the response of the people to this, and how did the competition go?
Arun Kumar: #HarFanKiJersey is an ode to all Indian cricket fans from all over the world who unite their favorite team and players. It celebrates the extra mile they go, their above and beyond spirit when it comes to showing their love for the team, and the unconditional support that each fan brings to the game.
Our objective throughout the campaign was to bring all cricket enthusiasts together to share their passion for the game. Before the actual unveiling of the jersey, we launched a microsite where users could share their story of what makes them a true blue cricket fan, and through this, not just get a sneak peek at the jersey but also get crowned a superfan and earn exclusive rewards. We are elated by the positive response we received to this from millions of fans across the world
Q. How have the sales responses been for the jersey, considering it is very accessible for everyone to buy?
Arun Kumar: We cannot divulge the exact numbers, but this year’s Team India jersey has been one of the bestselling products on our platform ever since we became the official kit sponsor of the Indian cricket team. We owe this success to the fact that all the official Team India merchandise has been affordable and accessible from the start. Our jerseys start retailing at just ₹1,999, and we have a wide variety of official merchandise from stadium shirts to player edition jerseys to training gear. We have also made it widely accessible so that fans can get their hands on the merchandise wherever they may be, either online through mplsports.in and all leading e-commerce or their neighborhood retail outlets.
Q. "Make in India" is highly talked about, especially in the apparel industry. What steps is MPL Sports taking in this regard?
Arun Kumar: As a homegrown brand, we take pride in being 100% made in India. We have a full-fledged in-house design and brand team and we have a huge network of manufacturing partners, all based in India. Every single aspect of the process, right from sourcing materials and fabrics to production and manufacturing, is managed by our team and partners. This also gives us full control over the quality of our products and allows us to be closer to our consumers to give them the best products at affordable prices.
