Rohit Sharma bats for sustainable fashion

(Image: screen shot from the virtual press conference on October 4, 2021)

“Climate change is real,” Rohit Sharma said. He was not talking about the current Indian dressing room.

Sharma, among the contenders to replace Virat Kohli as India’s T20 captain, was speaking during a virtual press conference on October 4 to launch Adidas’ latest ‘Impossible is Nothing’ campaign. Talk, therefore, was not about the reported power shifts in Indian cricket but about the batsman’s pet causes – protecting rhinos and the oceans.

Lately, Sharma has been wearing vividly rendered shoes, a collaboration between designer Aaquib Wani and Adidas, which highlight the two crises. One is a yellow-brown pair evoking dry bush that says ‘Save the Rhino’ and depicts the horned creature. The other is blue and features marine bio-diversity. It bears the slogans ‘Save the Corals’ and ‘Plastic Free Oceans’.

“You go to different places raising awareness, but nothing is better than going on to the field, doing what you love (cricket) and spreading that message across,” Sharma said about using the shoes during matches. “It’s basically to make sure that our generation knows what is happening at the moment on the planet. And whatever is happening is real. We need to react right now. I have a daughter who wants to lead a very simple life and (she should) not (have to) worry about our planet too much. Not just my daughter but the entire future generation. And for that we have to start our work from now.”

Sustainability increasingly matters to customers. So brands have no option but to come around. Adidas aims to use 100% recycled polyester in all its products by 2024, said Sunil Gupta, senior director, Adidas India, who was present at the press conference.

Sharma, who was speaking from the UAE, where he is playing the Indian Premier League (IPL), got attached to the rhino cause around 2014. He was visiting Kenya, and was deeply affected by stories about poaching.

“I felt sad (for instance) that there was only one great male northern white rhino left. He died a few years back (2018). It was very hurtful what the poachers were trying to do to the rhinos,” Sharma said. “India and Africa are the two regions where we find the majority of rhinos. I’m trying to do what I can in Africa and India as well. As a human being, what they (rhinos) are going through doesn’t feel right. It’s important for all of us to come together and see how we can protect them.”

Sharma answered just about one question on cricket. He was asked if the recent England tour was one of the milestones of his career. Sharma top-scored for India in the Test series, which India led 2-1 before the last match was called off due to rising Covid infections. Importantly, he scored his first overseas Test century and salvaged his career in the longer format.

“It (the tour) was a good one based on where I was in my Test cricket before that,” Sharma said. “But I wouldn’t say this was my best.  I know my best is yet to come in Test cricket. But it was a great tour personally for me and the team as well. Whether we won the series, or we are playing the (remaining) one-off Test match... I don’t know what is happening. But I think in my eyes we won the series, 2-1 (chuckling). For me it was a great challenge, and I thought I overcame that challenge pretty well.”