As the Men’s T20 Cricket World Championships draw closer on home turf, Nike has unveiled Born to Beat the Odds, a culturally rooted campaign celebrating self-belief as the defining force behind sporting success in India.

Taking the message to the streets, Nike transformed prominent Mumbai landmarks with towering out-of-home installations featuring Indian athletes-both established stars and emerging talent. Traditionally reserved for cinema icons, these larger-than-life cut-outs place sportspersons at the center of public imagination, signaling that athletic ambition deserves equal reverence.

The month-long campaign showcases national cricketers Jemimah Rodrigues, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Shafali Verma and Tilak Varma as symbolic “Giants,” standing tall as reminders that belief is the first victory every athlete must win. Importantly, Nike pairs these icons with grassroots players, reinforcing that greatness begins with conviction-whether on a local maidan or an international pitch.

Anchored by a powerful campaign film, Born to Beat the Odds addresses a universal challenge faced by young athletes in India: imagining oneself as “the next one” amid intense competition and expectation. Voices from Rodrigues and Gill underline how trusting oneself, despite doubt, becomes the turning point in an athlete’s journey.

Extending beyond elite sport, Nike also features academy and child prodigies, including three-year-old cricket sensation Debark Maity, whose nearly 40-foot installation launched the campaign. An accompanying anthem film, narrated by Harsha Bhogle, further amplifies the message across digital platforms.

By blending cultural symbolism, grassroots representation and star power, Nike’s Born to Beat the Odds positions self-belief as the ultimate competitive edge-one that begins long before the scoreboard does.