Nike explores ambition, self-belief and sporting competition in India with latest campaign

New Delhi: Nike has rolled out a new campaign titled ‘Born to Beat the Odds’ across Mumbai ahead of the men’s T20 cricket tournament scheduled on home soil. The campaign includes large-scale out-of-home installations, films and social media content featuring established Indian cricketers alongside younger players from academies and local grounds.

Giant cut-outs of athletes have been installed at prominent locations across the city, presenting cricketers such as Jemimah Rodrigues, Tilak Varma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Shafali Verma in large-format outdoor displays. The installations place professional players alongside emerging talent, reflecting the pressures and expectations faced by athletes across different stages of the sport.

According to the company, the campaign explores themes around self-belief and the challenges of pursuing sport in a country with a large talent pool and intense competition. The work includes a campaign film and an anthem film titled “The Odds”, as well as a series of social-first extensions planned across the month of the tournament.

The rollout begins with a teaser film and a large installation featuring three-year-old cricket player Debark Maity, who has gained attention online for his batting videos. Additional installations and content drops are expected to follow through the campaign period.

“Growing up, there were many times people told me what I dreamed of wasn’t possible. Too focused on the challenges and odds stacked against me, versus the belief that I could get there. But this is what drove me, it is what shaped me into the athlete I am today. I hope my story, celebrated in Born to Beat the Odds, helps another young girl or boy see it, believe it, and think ‘why not me?’,” says Jemimah Rodrigues.

“When you grow up in a country filled with cricketing heroes, it’s easy to think greatness belongs to someone else. But every athlete has a moment when they decide to trust themselves and do it anyway. That belief is where everything changes,” says Shubman Gill.

The campaign also includes appearances by academy-level and school players such as Zaina Ahmed Baig, Ishan Deshpande, Debark Maity and Ramra Chaudhary. The films are voiced by cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle and will run across digital and social platforms in addition to the outdoor installations.

Watch the campaign films:

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