MUMBAI: Star Sports, the official global broadcaster of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 has sent the Indian team a deep-rooted symbolic item – a jar of soil, #DeshKiMitti, that takes the 15 players in the squad back to their roots. The jar represents #BlessingsFromHomeground and reminds them of the days when they started their cricketing journey from.
The jar contains soil collected from across the schools and maidans where the players first started playing cricket. Members of the school, friends, coaches who have been a part of player’s early cricketing journey sent their blessings through this soil. #DeshKiMitti travelled to the United Kingdom and prior to the India vs Australia game, Star Sports anchor Jatin Sapru handed over the jar to Captain Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and coach Ravi Shastri. Virat in a moment of emotion, after receiving the jar opened it to smell the love of his land. #BlessingsFromHomeGround will remind the players not just of their roots but a billion voices chanting “India, India” at home as the jar takes a permanent spot in the dressing room.
Conceptualized and created by Ogilvy & Mather, the campaign brings alive the emotion that is ‘cricket’ for all Indians. The thought of sending blessings to the Indian team in the form of soil from each of their home ground is brought alive through an on- ground activation across India, posts on Twitter, Facebook and other digital platforms inviting participation of fans to give their blessings to their favourite cricketer. Branded content in the form of a culmination of all these messages from fans back home and the physical transfer of the blessings at London in the form of a token will give the team inspiration to bring home the prestigious World Cup.
The fifteen boxes with soil collected from the home ground of the Indian cricketing squad will travel with the team reminding them of the billion fans back in India hoping and praying for their success
every time they get on the field. This time each player will have their home ground with them which will remind them of their journey and inspire them to achieve the ultimate glory i.e. #CricketKaCrown.
