In Monday’s IPL 2021 match against Kolkata Knight Riders, Virat Kohli’s RCB wore blue Jersey to honour the frontline workers.
On Monday, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) donned a novel blue uniform against Kolkata Knight Riders to honour frontline workers combating the COVID-19 virus day in and day out.
After the green jersey, as part of the ‘Go Green’ movement, the franchise’s second limited edition jersey in the IPL.
However, in light of the pandemic that has wreaked havoc in India for the past one-and-a-half years, the franchise has decided to wear blue jerseys to honour the healthcare workers who have bravely fought the never-ending battle to safeguard the safety of every Indian citizen.
Rajesh Menon, RCB’s Vice President and Head, had claimed in an interview that the team had already committed to wearing these jerseys in May. They were unable to do so sooner due to a sudden outbreak in various franchise bio-bubbles and the ensuing postponing of the season.
The tribute
The jerseys resemble the colour of the PPE kits worn by frontline workers on duty. The blue jersey will feature messages on the back to spread awareness in the battle against COVID-19.
The signed jersey is currently up for auction, and the proceeds will aid to fund vaccination campaigns across India.
Captain Virat Kohli and chairman Prathmesh Mishra revealed the blue jersey. The match between RCB and KKR also marked Virat Kohli’s 200th IPL appearance for the franchise.
Earlier, RCB announced that its title sponsors would donate to support frontline soldiers for every boundary and wicket they hit against KKR in their IPL match.
The cause
GiveIndia’s “Vaccination For All” initiative will benefit from the cash raised through this auction.
The key to conquering the COVID-19 pandemic is widespread vaccination — vaccines reduce the risk of hospitalisation and fatality, allowing the government to jumpstart the economy and limit the damage to livelihoods. However, India faces numerous hurdles in vaccinating its citizens.
As of September 2021, India has been able to vaccinate barely 11.4% of its population fully. In semi-urban and rural areas, poor and vulnerable people do not have fair access to vaccination centres and cannot arrange appointments via online tools.
Jersey change, same result
The concept was great, but the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s performance on the field drew ridicule on social media. In the end, Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to victory in Abu Dhabi, thumping Royal Challengers Bangalore by nine wickets in a one-sided match.
Andre Russell as the third man, made the job done quickly, but it was debutant Venkatesh Iyer who stole the show with three fours in four deliveries from Yuzvendra Chahal to help KKR beat the target of 93 runs in 10 overs, finishing on 94/1.
