After commencing their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign with a six-wicket victory against five-time champions Australia, the Rohit Sharma-led India will next take on Afghanistan and arch-rivals Pakistan in the round-robin stage of the marquee tournament. Hosts India's much-awaited match against Pakistan will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. In the lead-up to the high-voltage encounter between the long-time rivals, reports were doing the rounds that India might sport an orange/saffron jersey for that particular game, which will be Match No. 12 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. (Full Coverage | Cricket News)
Indian players were also seen donning orange jerseys during training ahead of the their opening World Cup match against Australia. But clearing the air on the speculation regarding the jersey, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s honorary treasurer Ashish Shelar has said that India will not be donning a different match kit during their big-ticket World Cup match against Pakistan on October 14.
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Stating that there is no truth to the rumours of India wearing a different jersey for the game, Shelar said in a statement, "We categorically dismiss the media reports that Team India will be donning an alternative match kit against Pakistan. These reports are absolutely baseless and a work of someone's imagination. The Men in Blue will sport India colours - Blue at ICC Cricket World Cup 2023."
Though Shelar refuted the reports of a different jersey for the India vs Pakistan World Cup clash, there is some precedence of India wearing a different-coloured kit. This happened during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in a match against eventual winners England. As both England and India were donning blue colours in the tournament, India had switched to a darker shade of blue with orange sleeves during that game.
