BLACKCAPS Shirt Brings Māori and Indian Designs Together to Celebrate Sporting Ties

A special ODI shirt will mark 100 years of sporting connections between New Zealand and India, with three artists bringing the cultures together through cricket.

By Webfit News

The BLACKCAPS will wear a limited-edition shirt during their upcoming one-day international series against India, celebrating a sporting relationship that New Zealand Cricket says stretches back 100 years.

Named the Kotahitanga ODI Shirt, the design combines Māori and Indian artistic traditions, recognising the people and communities who have helped build connections between the two countries.

The shirt was created by Ben Thomason, of Ngāti Raukawa ki Te Tonga, alongside Shiv Narandas and Jai Pancha, whose cultural roots are in Gujarat.

Two cultures woven into one design

Thomason incorporated Māori kōwhaiwhai patterns over a background of haehae lines. His contribution connects the living with those who have passed, honouring those who helped establish the relationship and the players, supporters and people behind the scenes who carry it forward.

Narandas and Pancha introduced three Indian motifs: the lotus, India’s national flower; a repeating ogee pattern inspired by Indian architecture; and a mandala providing a symmetrical framework that works alongside the Māori elements.

The collaboration gives each tradition a distinct place within a shared design, reflecting the shirt’s central theme of kotahitanga, or unity.

“The brief said unity and I think the design encompasses that wholeheartedly,” Thomason said.

A personal connection for the artists

For Narandas, whose family hails from India, the project also reflects his own connection to life in New Zealand.

“This shirt feels like a journey of our life here,” he said.

“I hope that everyone can feel the energy that’s been put into this project and they can wear the shirt with pride.”

That connection gives the shirt significance beyond the boundary. For supporters with ties to both countries, it brings together cultural identities often shared across homes, families and cricket grounds.

Cricket as a meeting point

NZC chief marketing and commercial officer Glenn Critchley said the collaboration demonstrated sport’s ability to connect cultures.

“The artists have created a beautiful balance between a distinct Māori design and a distinct Indian design that speaks to the bond between our nations,” he said.

NZC hopes the limited-edition release will become a keepsake for cricket supporters from both countries.

The BLACKCAPS will wear it during the Hero VIDA ODI series, powered by AI+ Nova Smartphone, with India’s tour of New Zealand scheduled to begin on 22 October.

Fans can purchase the shirt through the NZC online store, selected Rebel Sport New Zealand stores and other retailers.

Source: New Zealand Cricket.