Who aced the design and colour schemes in 2025?

Giving us instant nostalgia 🫶

Muthiah Muralidaran | #PlayWithFire pic.twitter.com/RsdLCx7ibs

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) March 15, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Motif FYI: The orange and black zigzag mesh is called the ‘Fiery Heat’ design. While it scores very high on originality, aesthetic, uniqueness, brand recall, it’s also come to be associated with the 2024 season when TravisheKlaasen blew away opponents till they were stopped in the final By KKR. While blazing sunrises of the eastern coast are famed, the motifs draw heavy design inspiration of African accents (remember Nigeria’s many beautiful football jerseys?) from the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who have won the last two titles in SA20. This year, they have Md Shami alongside Pat Cummins.

Thumbsup: Uniqueness

Thumbsdown: Not much use of the maze design for playful riddles.

xxx

Kolkata Knight Riders

9/10

pic.twitter.com/h8KvGBGeri

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 15, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Motif FYI: The purple got purpler as the defending champs have toned down on the gold. The mystery feature of this year’s jersey (though Varun Chakaravarthy is their trump card), is the much-anticipated addition of the three-edged stars around the Gemini constellation, which apparently have been registered by the date that the team won each of the three titles (May 27, 2012; June 1, 2014; and May 26, 2024). The BCCI also introduced a brag-tag in the form of an exclusive gold IPL logo on the sleeve, for defending champions. KKR’s jersey launch was all about the number 3.

Thumbsup: The faux collar, Mandarin but squarish, is real neat.

Thumbsdown: The additional sponsor colours on sleeves in Green and red ruin the seamlessness of the design, though they bring in money and must be accommodated.

xxx

Punjab Kings

6/10

Represent Punjab Kings 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐰𝐚𝐲!👕😍

Just 1️⃣7️⃣ days away from our season opener. #SherSquad hurry up! Get your personalised Punjab Kings jersey from the megastore and don it with pride. 💪❤️

To buy ➡️ Head to the link in bio. 🔗#JazbaHaiPunjabi #tataipl #FanCodeShop… pic.twitter.com/RvMkBppxJd

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) March 8, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Sadde Punjab di Jersey has gotten a little faded in its newest avatar. While gold trimmings have been added, their random fire-inspired design change that saw the lion disappearing, has meant its a tamer red and blobs of tamer-still orange fire that has fuzzed out the dashing red of previous years. A tricolor band on the shoulder is swell, but the dulled red and blue lowers barely register any excitement or free-spiritedness. Maybe Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer could help lift them from their 9th place limbo.

Thumbsup: Interference of sponsor tags is minimal, so not jarring.

Thumbsdown: That ombre red. It’s like it needs players to light up the ground, like one of those heat change mugs.

xxx

Delhi Capitals

7/10

Last year, DC went a little wild though the idea of a metro route inspired design wasn’t bad at all. But bringing in one of the sports majors has simplified the design excess, and it’s a straightforward red sleeve and blue torso with self-coloured bold vertical stripes running the length. It’s not a Collector’s item like the metro tee might’ve been, but it is sufficiently unfussed that all the attention stays squarely on the cricket and there’s not much to say about the threads. It’s almost as if Rishabh Pant took away all the wilding accents, and KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Starc brought in the straitjacketed sense of purpose with the vertical lines.

Thumbsup: Blue collar – oldschool – on the stark red shoulder.

Thumbsdown: Nothing stands out. Hopefully their cricket will.

Xxx

Gujarat Titans

8/10

Filters? Naah… bas asli GT swag! 📸😎 pic.twitter.com/I6lPH94WrN

— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) March 16, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

It’s the cleanest jerseys in the IPL, with such geometrical specificity that design ought to get a 10/10 on Kondo scale of uncluttered with perfect golds. The thunder silhouette is almost iconic and patently recognisable. But the ink blue is so dark, and dense, that you wonder if it’s the right hue for summers. You worry it wouldn’t leave Jos Butler, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada dripping buckets though fabric sciences take care of those concerns. The franchise’s social media post featuring Rashid Khan staring at a blank slate, captioned “A clean slate. A new story,” had triggered rumors about captaincy, but those were confirmed to be rumours only. No stress.

Thumbsup: The thunder design is a classic. Original. Neat.

Thumbsdown: That dark sun-soaking, heat-trapping shade. Hope they have Alts in lighter pastels.

xxx

Rajasthan Royals

8/10

They’re back together and nothing’s changed 😂💗 pic.twitter.com/CoAtERbKrW

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 13, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

You can’t go wrong with pink. More fuschia, more fun. But when the Royals unveiled their IPL 2025 jersey, it had an additional homage to Rajasthan’s heritage and the franchise’s former legends. The design is inspired by the iconic Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower) in Chittorgarh. Designed by students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Jodhpur, it has weaved in names and jersey numbers of legends like their title winning captain, the late Shane Warne, Rahul Dravid, who’s back as a mentor, Jos Buttler and Steve Smith. Royals ace new age nostalgia and always put up a show. But the intricate Chittorgarh motifs of Rana Kumbha were highlighted when a promotional event unfurled a 30 feet jersey outside a university.

Thumbsup: Intricate architectural detailing incorporated into what looks like a normal two coloured jersey.

Thumbsdown: Not many notice such detailing.

Xxx

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

7/10

Monday blues? Nah, not today! It’s #RCBUnbox Day! 🎁🤩

12th Man Army, you ready to vibe with us? 👍#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/OvxpGSkj3b

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 17, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The red is red enough. The Blue is darker still. There’s even metallic accents that can click if persisted with – like GT’s thunder strokes. But even with Rajat Patidar fronting the unveiling, there’s little that’s exciting about the new design. It’s more of the same, and a bit symptomatic of the selection muddles they often find themselves in as seasons wear on. The great hope bandied about is the 18th edition will be lucky for the iconic No 18 Kohli abd the RCB logo crest claw is oversized even. But truth be told, RCB get royally confused with DC and Punjab Kings because the colour schemes float along same lines. Kohli in any jersey would be Kohli – he defines the jersey. But that could be the problem – the jersey just doesn’t define him or the team. Not that the Chinnaswamy faithful care.

Thumbsup: Metallic accents. Stick to them.

Thumbsdown: Is that DC? Is that PBK? LSG?? No, it’s RCB.

xxx

Mumbai Indians

7/10

🎶 𝘼𝙗 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙𝙝 𝙧𝙖𝙝𝙞 𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝙡𝙖𝙪 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞.. 🎶

HP is home. 🏟#MumbaiIndians #PlayLikeMumbai pic.twitter.com/Hme7LRiaTo

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 16, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

They finished last, last time. They could finish first this time. The Blue & gold is same difference. The most recognisable element in that generic blue fabric cut tends to be the crest. Because everything around it keeps changing. Merciful, the gaudy gold has muted down a lot. Like matt and thinner stripes. The shoulder is quite natty. But the torso has a new pinch of purple in the base Motif to go with the blue. Not sure what the design is – sea waves mayhaps ? But it is promptly ruined by one of the sponsor logos in red – not unlike the random green of KKR.

No design nitpicking will likely affect jersey sales, but you wonder why all these bluesy teams even bother, when only the India blue will really resonate. Too late at 18 to change, even as Hardik Pandya mouths, Chala bhetu, Wankhede la (Let’s meet at Wankhede).

Thumbsup: Gold is so pretty when it’s not ostentatious and in your face. Classy even.

Thumbsdown: It’s blue. Yawn.

xxx

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

8/10

Life comes a full circle! ♾️💛
Engu Thodangum. Engu Mudiyum! ✨#WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 @ashwinravi99 pic.twitter.com/QMWuSulpml

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 11, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Thala for a reason, now in 18th season. Like their fellow joint top champs MI, the jerseys will be embraced no matter how they look. So the iconic yellow has settled into a pattern, with former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, unveiling it after returning to the franchise after 2015. The main sponsor font is neat and tidy so it declutters a bit of that sponsor splash on the front. The yellow could be spotted from a mile, and doesn’t need any tweaks.

As such, MI’s paltangiri and CSK’s yellove is jersey agnostic. The fans are past that stage.

Thumbsup: Always a big fan of the name and number lettering in that shade of blue.

Thumbsdown: The olive green shoulder patch just doesn’t belong on a civilian. But that’s a pet peeve.

xxx

Lucknow Super Giants

9/10 (if sea green), 7/10 (if red and blue)

pic.twitter.com/4ByhX1T5r5

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) March 16, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Here is a franchise that has a wonderful option in going with a mild pastel sea green, that accentuates their dragonfly emblem. But all indications are they will hypnotically follow the red & blue and join the indistinguishable masses alongwith 3 other teams of blue & red.

The LSG haven’t formally unveiled their 2025 gear. They aren’t very clear about Mayank Yadav’s availability either.
But the design core is strong. Last year, LSG announced its jersey was inspired by the visual art of the world’s most famous graphic artist, M.C. Escher — bold, yet minimalist, precise yet chaotic. Its mathematically inspired artwork, with the geometric print riddled with enigmatic details that manifest in a larger-than-life way, with a meaning and purpose at each fold. They’ve done well to leave the mystery to Ravi Bishnoi. But the alphabets of the acronym LSG, can spring up on you in its interconnected three-dimensional pattern. They say there’s that trick – the more you look at it, the more you see it unfold, in “the most mesmerising way.”

There’s hat tips to Lucknowi art, linear stitching lines, menacing parametric patterns and chikankari work. All of it looks perfectly nice and summery on the sea green. But someone got smitten by the newly introduced blue — called Limoges blue, and the intricacies were lost to it.

Thumbsup: It’s so pretty, chikankari is what perfect Indian summers are about. But only in pastels.

Thumbsdown: The allure of the banal red & blue. Someone save Lucknow from falling for the generic.