Genuine query:Is this just an exaggerated claim or an actual truth

In my university,during one of our recent classes, our HOD started talking about the Indian cricket jersey and made a pretty controversial statement. He claimed that the saffron color in the jersey was added because Jay Shah wants to promote Hindutva through the cricket team. At first, I thought this sounded like a bit of a stretch, but then he started backing it up with examples, like how politics and cricket have been intertwined in India for years.

I don’t know if this is just an exaggerated claim to stir discussion in the class or if there’s some truth behind it. I mean, we all know cricket is more than just a sport in India—it’s like a religion. But would they really use something like the jersey to push political agendas?