Since 1928, the Indian hockey team has played in different shades of blue or white almost every time at a major tournament. That will change next month.
When Harmanpreet Singh and Salima Tete lead out the men’s and women’s teams for the World Cup, starting August 15 in Belgium and the Netherlands, the players will swap the iconic blue jersey that has defined the national side for a saffron-coloured one.
Hockey India said the “primary consideration was technical” since the blue uniform blended with the blue turf and made it difficult for a player to spot a teammate easily. They added that the decision was based on “recommendations and detailed consultations” with the players and support staff.
However, The Indian Express spoke to five members across the men’s and women’s teams, and each denied being part of the process. “I wasn’t asked or consulted. It is not true,” said one of the members, who requested anonymity. All five said they did not speak for the entire group, but it suggests that the consultations, if any, were not unanimous.
It is also learnt that some of Hockey India’s top officials, including members of the executive committee, were not informed or consulted about the move. “I was not aware of the change in jersey colour nor was I part of an official meeting where this was discussed,” an executive committee member told this paper.
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
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh and president Dilip Tirkey, a former India captain, could not be reached for comment.
Hockey India declined to comment when asked specifically who made the call to change the jersey colour, which has blue accents at the end of the sleeve and around the collar, and a thin tri-colour piping running downwards along the shoulder.
But the decision received widespread backlash, including from former players. “I am not inspired when I look at this jersey,” Vasudevan Baskaran, who was India’s captain when the team won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics, told The Indian Express. “Since 1928, great Indian players have worn the blue shirts. Suddenly, what is the reason for this change? Is it the Government’s decision or Hockey India’s? If it is Hockey India’s, then they should have consulted former and current players first,” he said.
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Baskaran, who coached India at the Sydney Olympics as well as the 1998 and 2006 World Cups, wondered if Hockey India had taken the Government’s permission before “such a significant change”.
“Recently, we saw the All India Football Federation, which is headed by a politician, try and change the name to Football Federation of Bharat. It is a tamasha,” he said. “I am hurt, and won’t be inspired to watch an Indian team play in an orange jersey.”
Another former India hockey captain, Viren Rasquinha, called the orange kit “embarrassing”. “The legacy and identity of the Indian team has always been blue… What is the logic of orange?” he wrote on X.
Hockey India said in a statement: “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.”
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It said: “In light of the above, the coaches and players suggested alternative colours such as yellow or saffron. After careful consideration, saffron was finalised. Apart from addressing the technical requirement, saffron also holds deep significance as one of the colours of our National Flag, symbolising courage, sacrifice and national pride.”
Blue has remained a colour entrenched in Indian sport for decades and has become part of the athletes’ identity. The cricket teams have been called ‘Men in Blue’ and ‘Women in Blue.’ The hockey team has worn the colour in successive Olympic and World Cup campaigns, with one exception in 2014, when it wore yellow because of a sponsor commitment.
Hockey historian K Arumugam said Indian teams have always played in varying shades of blue or in whites since the country made its Olympic debut in 1928. “There was a brief period, in 1994-1995, when the playing kit kept changing based on what the sponsors suggested. Even then, the patterns changed but the colour not so much,” Arumugam said.
The players have frequently worn orange in training sessions, but never for matches. While blue remained the primary colour, India had white with orange stripes on the sides as the alternate jersey.
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The new saffron look has also become a political talking point, with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticising the change. “Whether they change uniforms or try to rewrite history through education policy, no matter what they do… You have seen what the youth of our country think about this,” she told reporters on Thursday.
Hockey India declined to comment on whether the orange kit will also be worn at the Asian Games in September-October, where the rest of the Indian contingent will be in blue.
