New Delhi [India], January 19 : Indian professional artist Harun Robert, also known as, 'Rob' designed the special jersey for Women's Premier League (WPL) franchise UP Warriorz for their special fixture against defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) played on Saturday, which was dedicated to the cause of free, flexible, and lifelong education for girls.
The jersey was worn for the initiative, which is a part of Warriorz' ongoing partnership with 'Educate Girls', a grassroots organisation working across underserved communities to improve access to education for girls. Harun Robert, aka 'Rob', a visual artist who appeared on the popular art-and-craft show 'MAD' back in the 2000s, designed the jersey.
The jersey drew inspiration from handwritten letters penned by young girls across the country. These letters captured bold aspirations to become pilots, IPS officers, scientists, soldiers, and professional cricketers, reflecting a generation unafraid to dream beyond convention.
Using cognitive mapping, these personal stories and ambitions were translated into powerful visual elements that form the jersey's design language, with these visual elements representing courage, imagination, and the pursuit of excellence for young women.
The match, which took place in Navi Mumbai's DY Patil on Saturday, was a special one as UP Warriorz continued to turn things in their favour after a three-match winless run, getting their second successive win. Skipper Meg Lanning's 45-ball 70 and Phoebe Litchfield's 37-ball 61 took UPW to 187/6, which the team defending despite fine knocks from Amelia Kerr (49* in 28 balls) and Amanjot Kaur (41* in 24 balls) after MI collapsed to 69/5, with Shikha Pandey (2/32) and Kranti Gaud (1/30) being amongst the pick of the bowlers.
UPW, placed in fourth place in the points table with two wins and three losses, will start their Vadodara leg of the competition against Gujarat Giants (GG) on January 22.