Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], December 3 (ANI): India's new T20I jersey ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup was launched during the innings break of the second ODI between India and South Africa at Raipur on Wednesday.

During the launch of the jersey, batter Tilak Varma, currently a part of the ODI squad and India's star during the Asia Cup final win against Pakistan, and India's T20 World Cup 2024-winning captain Rohit Sharma were present. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia was also present during the jersey unveiling.

The new jersey blends a modern high-performance silhouette with bold, nostalgic design cues. Drawing inspiration from the iconic striped India jerseys of the 1990s, the kit introduces contemporary pattern innovation with a retro twist, while retaining the legendary neckline from the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning jersey, as per a press release.

Rohit said during the jersey unveil: 'From cheering as a young fan to lifting trophies for the country, this game has given me memories for a lifetime. Now, as I step into a new chapter, the pride remains the same. This new Team India jersey reminds us that whether you're in the stands or on the field, we all wear the same colours and believe in the same dream for India.'

India, placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, the USA, the Netherlands and Namibia, will start their campaign against the USA on February 7 next year. The tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

India are two-time T20I WC champions, having won the inaugural title way back in 2007 and beating the Proteas by six runs in a nail-biting final, which saw Virat Kohli shining with a half-century in his final T20I appearance and Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh unleashing a scary pace choke in the death overs on the Proteas. To top it all off, Suryakumar Yadav took a remarkable catch at long-off to remove David Miller in the final over, bowled by Pandya, sealing the match for India and ending India's trophy drought since the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

Coming to the Raipur ODI, India was put to bat first by the Proteas, who had the hosts down at 62/2 after dismissals of Rohit Sharma (14) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (22). Virat Kohli (102 in 93 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (105 in 83 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes) put on a 195-run stand for the third wicket, putting India in command. Later, KL Rahul (66* in 43 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and Ravindra Jadeja (24* in 27 balls, with two fours) finished off in style with a quickfire 69-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Marco Jansen (2/63) was the top bowler for the Proteas. India needs to defend 359 to win the series with one match left. (ANI)