Andy Devaney
England Cricket has decided that if you are going to dress for a big summer, you may as well do it with a nod to the past and a firm tug on the future. The ECB and Castore have unveiled the new 2026 collection for England’s ODI, IT20 and training wear, a range that leans into retro styling without looking like it has been found at the back of a forgotten kit bag.
This is not just a wardrobe refresh for the sake of it. The new England Cricket collection will be worn by England Women, England Men and England Men’s Mixed Disability teams across a packed 2026 schedule, with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup giving the summer an added sense of weight and occasion.
A retro look without the mothballs
The strongest idea in the collection is also the simplest one. Both white-ball shirts borrow from earlier England eras, when limited-overs kits had a bit more personality and a lot less corporate wallpaper about them.
The IT20 shirt revives the familiar red-and-blue palette of the mid-2000s, which will stir the memory of anyone who remembers England’s first steps into the format. The ODI shirt, meanwhile, carries an updated blue pattern, cleaner and sharper, but still rooted in that old England visual language.
The Test kit has sensibly been left alone. It remains unchanged from 2025, sticking with the traditional cream palette. Quite right too. Some things do not need fiddling with.
Performance fabric meets old-school identity
Where this collection earns its keep is in the balance between nostalgia and function. It is one thing to borrow a few colours from the past. It is another to make sure the kit still works for elite athletes operating under floodlights, pressure and the kind of midsummer heat that turns polyester into a poor life choice.
Both new white-ball kits feature an engineered rib collar that helps sell the retro concept, but the real substance sits in the construction. The fabric is lightweight, durable and built with moisture management and UPF protection, which is the modern part of the bargain. In plain English, it is designed to move well, breathe properly and survive the strain of professional cricket.
That matters because good sportswear is not really about the launch video or the shop window. It is about whether the player forgets what they are wearing once the first ball is bowled.
A big year, and the right time to make a statement
This launch lands at the start of a significant year for England Cricket, particularly on the women’s side. With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup looming large, the timing is no accident. A kit launch can often feel like a side note, but when the calendar is full and the spotlight is sharp, what a team wears becomes part of how that season is remembered.
The campaign film, titled We’re All In, leans into that broader sense of continuity. Current England players are joined by Darren Gough, still one of the most recognisable fast bowlers England have produced and a fitting bridge to the era that inspired the IT20 shirt. Gough, after all, played in England Men’s first-ever IT20 against Australia in 2005, and took enough international wickets to keep scoreboards busy for years.
That connection gives the collection a little more depth than the standard annual unveiling. It roots the modern team in a visible lineage rather than treating each season like it began in a vacuum.
What the ECB and Castore had to say
ECB Head of Commercial Partnerships Ben Bradley said: “It’s always a really exciting day to unveil our new kits for a season and I’m delighted with what we’ve worked on alongside Castore. The retro design of the white-ball kits reflect the legacy of IT20 and ODI cricket in what is a landmark year for women’s cricket, particularly, and I’m sure our fans will enjoy being a part of that this summer.”
Danny Downs, Chief Commercial Officer at Castore, said: “Our partnership with the ECB continues to go from strength to strength, with this season’s kit representing the next step in performance design.
“Built on detailed player research and a deep understanding of the game, the collection delivers a refined fit and enhanced freedom of movement. Lightweight, breathable and purpose-built for elite performance, it reflects our ongoing commitment to raising the bar season after season.”
The verdict on England Cricket’s new look
There is a temptation with modern kit launches to overcomplicate things, as though every shirt needs a backstory longer than a county season. England Cricket and Castore have mostly avoided that trap here.
The best part of the 2026 collection is its clarity. The white-ball shirts know exactly what they are trying to be: retro-inspired, performance-led and easy to identify at a glance. The IT20 design, in particular, has a bit of proper life in it. The ODI shirt looks more measured, but still carries enough detail to avoid becoming anonymous.
Most importantly, it suits the moment. England Cricket is heading into a summer of substance, not a filler year, and these kits look built for that stage. They respect the past without becoming trapped in it, which is more than can be said for plenty of sporting rebrands.
The new England Cricket kits and training wear are available now through the ECB and Castore, and if they play as well as they look, there will be plenty of them in the stands before long.
