The Mumbai cricket team, the domestic side governed by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), competes in India’s Ranji Trophy first-class competition. The team’s visual identity is built around a lion crest, an emblem that has become closely associated with the side’s dominant history in Indian domestic cricket.
Design and History
The Mumbai cricket team’s logo is a red lion crest, a mark that has been described as the “strongest brand element for Mumbai cricket.”[1] The crest is worn by players on their caps and jerseys, and it has become a symbol of pride for the team’s cricketers over the years.[2] The lion motif is so central to the team’s identity that the crest is often referenced simply as “the lion crest” in coverage of Mumbai cricket.[3]
In June 2020, MCA president Dr. Vijay Patil proposed a rebranding initiative that included changing the red-lion logo. The proposal argued that while the blue and red lion had been “a great representation of the lion-hearted spirit of Mumbai cricket,” the design needed to be “upscaled for screens and digital media” and made “clean, modern and vibrant” to appeal to a younger audience.[1] The proposal drew concern from former players and fans over a possible design change to the crest.[4]
In September 2021, the MCA’s Apex Council decided to restrict use of the Mumbai logo to players and support staff only, meaning no one else could wear the emblem. An MCA official stated that “the red lion crest is sacrosanct.”[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The lion crest has long been associated with the competitive character of Mumbai cricket. Commentators have described the lion as representing the team’s fighting spirit, with the crest worn “on his heart” by players who take on a different mentality when representing Mumbai.[6] The emblem has been described as embodying the “lion-hearted spirit of Mumbai cricket.”[1]
The crest’s colors are documented as blue and red, with the lion itself rendered in red.[1] The blue and red palette has been a consistent element of the Mumbai cricket brand, though no official documentation of specific color codes or their intended symbolic meanings has been published by the MCA.
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