Explained: Why did the Champions Trophy-winning Indian team wear white jackets after final in Dubai?

The ICC Champions Trophy returned to India’s possession after more than a decade following their four-wicket victory over New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday. Rohit Sharma played a captain’s knock of 76 off 83 balls as India chased down the 252-run target set by New Zealand with four wickets and an over to spare. Also making valuable contributions were middle-order batters Shreyas Iyer (48) and KL Rahul (34 not out) as well as wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/45).

While India became the most successful team in the tournament’s history after their triumph over the Black Caps on Sunday, having previously been declared joint-champions with Sri Lanka in 2002 before defeating England in the final of the 2013 edition at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham.

And among the highlights of the evening at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium was the Indian players wearing the iconic white jackets over their blue kits for the first time in over a decade, with the MS Dhoni-led side having worn the same jackets in seventh edition in 2013.

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BCCI president Roger Binny put the jacket on each member of the Indian squad before ICC chairman Jay Shah handed the trophy over to captain Rohit.

But what exactly is it with white jackets and the Champions Trophy?

What is the significance of white jackets in the ICC Champions Trophy?

The Champions Trophy has been around for more than two decades, with the inaugural edition taking place at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh in which South Africa were crowned champions after defeating West Indies in the final.

However, the white jackets worn by members of the title-winning team would become a permanent fixture only in 2009, when Australia became the first, and till date only, team to win back-to-back titles by defeating New Zealand in the final.

Which means the Indian and Sri Lankan teams, led by Sourav Ganguly and Sanath Jayasuriya respectively, did not have any such jackets made for them when they shared the trophy in 2002.

The jackets are meant to be a memento for players, who get to keep them after the tournament, for being part of a title-winning campaign, and could be described as cricket’s version of the iconic green jacket that is awarded to the winner of the Masters Tournament in Augusta, USA.

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According to the BBC, a tailor is sent to each team that has reached the final in order to measure up all the players in the squad ahead of the big match.

“The day before a tailor comes, measures you up for these jackets in this white silk material,” former pacer Steven Finn, who was part of the England team that lost to India in the 2013 final, told the Test Match Special podcast.

“In 2013 against India, we were on target to chase it down so the white jacket was very much in my sights,” he added.