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Since its inception back in 2008, the IPL has become a massive entity, one that is eagerly looked forward to in the sporting calendar. Over the years, the IPL has provided opportunities to a lot of players who have gone on to achieve higher honours.
The IPL is a brand and with everyone watching, it is also a medium to send across a message. This has been exploited by franchises who have launched various initiatives and promoted them through the cash-rich league.
One of the ways in which they have done so is the use of jerseys. Teams have used special jerseys for social reasons and that has been well received by fans, pundits and people in general.
Here, we look at five teams that wore a unique IPL jersey for a special cause.
#1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
In a game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2021, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) sported a blue jersey as a mark of respect towards the Covid-19 frontline warriors not only in India but worldwide. KKR won that game quite easily as they chased down a total of 93 with 10 overs to spare.
Apart from this, RCB sports a green jersey in one game every season to promote their 'Go Green' initiative. This year too, they wore the green jersey in a game against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). That game went in RCB's favour as they won a closely-contested game by seven runs.
#2. Delhi Dardevils
Back in 2015, the Delhi Daredevils (DD) sported a lavender jersey in a game against the Kings XI Punjab to raise awareness about cancer. The Delhi franchise celebrated May 1 as Cancer Survivor Day and the initiative was led by Yuvraj Singh, who himself is a cancer survivor.
Hemant Dua, the then-CEO of GMR Sports - owner of the Delhi Daredevils franchise, said that the team wanted to use the popularity of the IPL to spread cancer awareness.
"Through YouWeCan, we will be hosting a hundred kids who have fought cancer," Dua said. "We will also be releasing lavender-coloured balloons at the Feroz Shah Kotla. We will also put lavender ribbons on the Kings XI jersey and on our players. Our digital platforms will also turn lavender that day."
It was a good outing for the Daredevils as they won the game by nine wickets with more than six overs to spare.
#3. Mumbai Indians
Earlier this season, the Mumbai Indians' (MI) men's team donned the franchise's WPL jersey in a game against the Kolkata Knight Riders. This was done to encourage girls and women to take up sport.
The game was played on the Education and Sports for All Day, which is an initiative led by the Reliance Foundation, which owns the Mumbai Indians. 19,000 girls from different NGOs were in attendance and Harmanpreet Kaur, skipper of the MI WPL team, was also present at the toss.
The game was won by the Mumbai Indians as they chased down a total of 185 with more than two overs in the bank.
#4. Delhi Capitals
In a game against the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2022, the Delhi Capitals (DC) sported a special rainbow jersey. The jerseys were auctioned after the game to help raise funds for the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Vijayanagar, Karnataka. IIS is JSW Group’s first privately-funded High-Performance Training Centre for talented young athletes across various Olympic disciplines.
Coming to the game, the Knight Riders could only manage a total of 146 in their 20 overs. The Capitals chased down the target easily with one over remaining, thanks to brilliant knocks by David Warner and Rovman Powell.
#5. Gujarat Titans
On Monday, May 15, the Gujarat Titans sported a lavender jersey in a bid to raise awareness about cancer.
At the toss, GT's skipper Hardik Pandya also attached a lavender ribbon on the opposition (SRH) skipper, Aiden Markram's jersey. Gujarat Titans had a wonderful outing as they won the game by a comfortable margin of 34 runs.
