Rohit Sharma Defended Muslim Pride in PAK-Ind World Cup Match
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With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) enforcing changes to the 2024 T20 World Cup schedule, it’s time to reflect on another instance when the BCCI tried to assert its influence against Pakistan.
The 2023 World Cup in India is a distant memory for Pakistan due to their poor performance, especially against arch-rivals India. The high-stakes match was further intensified by off-field drama, as the BCCI and the ruling Modi-led BJP government were accused of stoking anti-Muslim sentiment.
Read more: Rohit Sharma Speaks Up About Pakistani Fast Bowlers
Politics should be kept out of sports, but the BCCI has often been accused of promoting an anti-Pakistan agenda. This time, the controversy revolved around a proposed all-orange kit for the Indian team during their match against Pakistan. The plan was halted thanks to the intervention of fans and players, including Indian team captain Rohit Sharma. Here’s the story of how the BCCI tried to make Indian players wear an orange kit against Pakistan in Ahmedabad.
The most audacious plan involved a last-minute attempt to switch the Indian team’s jersey from their traditional blue to an all-orange kit just before the Pakistan match. BCCI treasurer Ashish Shelar dismissed the allegations as “absolutely baseless and a work of someone’s imagination.” However, three independent sources from within the team, the ICC, and the BCCI confirmed the existence of the orange uniform, which had been presented to the team as an alternative two days before the game.
A week before their first fixture, the Indian players received a new training kit consisting of an orange shirt and dark trousers, followed by the proposed all-orange match kit.
According to Sharda Ugra, a renowned investigative journalist, the players expressed concerns that the kit was “disrespectful to some members of the team,” referring to Mohammad Shami and Mohammad Siraj. Eventually, Rohit Sharma chose to uphold their traditional colors for their home World Cup. They sent a clear message: “Not on our watch, not here, not today.”
