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Nike has designed the first ever Twenty20 cricket uniform for the Indian Cricket team. During the launch of the new Twenty20 jursey, captain MS Dhoni said that team is ready physically as well as mentally for the long season ahead.

Talking to media, MS Dhoni said, “The one-and-a-half month break after the IPL-V season was good and we also had breaks between each of the five One-Day Internationals played in Sri Lanka. We are all ready on the physical and mental aspects for the Test series against New Zealand.”

The Indian skipper is very happy with the return of middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh into the team. Yuvraj Singh has made a comeback in the team for the Twenty20 match against New Zealand and ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka starting from September 18 to October 7.

Talking on Yuvraj’s return, Dhoni said, “Slowly we will get into the Test match format of the game. Probably the season will end with the IPL in 2013, so we have to look ahead every 15 days. The focus will be on fitness right through the long season.”

He said, “The dressing room was really boring without Yuvraj Singh the character, apart from his batting skills.”

MS Dhoni said, “Virat Kohli did make up for his absence, but now there will be competition between Yuvraj and Virat to determine who is the best on the count of ragging.”

Moreover, the newly launched special Twenty20 jersey, with a contemporary collar and which has a national tricolour pattern over the left shoulder, said, Nike’s global design director Stewart Iwasaki.

Tarun Puri, Managing Director and General Manager, Nike India Pvt. Ltd said, “It’s a landmark moment for Nike, which became the apparel sponsor for the BCCI in December 2005. The new design is based on dry-fit technology and it is innovative and inspiring. Nike always listens to the voice of the athlete. Last year the Bleed Blue campaign had 11 million hand prints.”

Further, during the launch of the new Twenty20 cricket uniform, captain MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag and Ajinkya Rehane was present.

Dhoni said, “It’s a very good start. When people were surfing television channels, they identified whites with Test cricket and blue with one-day cricket.”

The opener batsman and pitch hitter, Virender Sehwag said, “The jersey has the colours of the national tricolour which is close to my heart.”