Screen grab of a video shared by Hockey India on X, displaying the new official jersey of the Indian national teams
The Indian men's and women's hockey teams will be seen in saffron jerseys instead of their traditional blue kits at next month's FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, a change that was questioned by former captain Viren Rasquinha but defended as a technical necessity by Hockey India.Unveiling the new jersey on its social media pages, Hockey India said the design and colour of the jersey is meant to "tell a story" and carry "India's pride" and was finalised after consultations with players and support staff. HI said saffron symbolises courage, sacrifice and victory.Presenting the new India jersey! 🇮🇳Every stitch tells a story. Every pattern, every colour carries India's pride. Our teams are ready to once again do the country proud at the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026.🎥: Select 2 (SD+HD)+ Khel & JioHotstar🗓️: August… pic.twitter.com/8GvwbByapq— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 27, 2026"It was observed that the blue playing uniform tended to blend/merge with the blue synthetic playing surface, which is now the standard colour of international hockey pitches. This visual similarity affected on-field clarity and visibility for the players," Hockey India said in a statement after Rasquinha questioned the logic behind the move."...the coaches and players suggested alternative colours such as yellow or saffron. After careful consideration, saffron was finalised.
