Knitwear players worried as cricketing merchandise takes a hit

With audiences’ interest in cricket diminishing because of various scams exposed during the IPL season and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 being held outside India, the knitwear industry from Ludhiana and Tirupur are expecting over 50 percent decline in orders for cricket apparel merchandise against the previous edition in 2011.

Usually, Indian viewers spend on grabbing cricketing merchandise of the team they follow and brands cash in on the opportunity by launching products like knitted jerseys, caps, wrist bands and other accessories having branding of sponsors and different teams participating in the tournament.

The IPL which is held every year has been witnessing constant decline in demand. Last year, the orders for IPL apparel merchandise dwindled by at least 20-25 percent. For example, Mumbai-based SVG Fashion which had received orders of around five million pieces of knitted apparel from brands like Adidas, Nike and Reebok last year, actually witnessed a decrease in orders.