M S Dhoni’s iconic No. 7 jersey retired, no longer up for grabs | Cricket News

M S Dhoni’s iconic No. 7 jersey won’t be seen on any other India cricketer. Three years after he hung his boots as an international cricketer, the Indian cricket board, in a tribute to his contribution to the sport, has decided to ‘retire’ the number sported the World Cup-winning captain.
The only other cricketer bestowed a similar honour is Sachin Tendulkar — in 2017, his signature No. 10 jersey too was folded away for good.
It is learnt that the BCCI has informed players in the national team, especially the debutants, that they don’t have the option of numbers associated with Tendulkar and Dhoni.
“The young players and current Indian team players have been told not to pick M S Dhoni’s Number 7 jersey. The BCCI has decided to retire Dhoni’s T-shirt for his contribution to the game. A new player can’t get No. 7, and No. 10 was already off the l of available numbers,” said a senior Board official.
The BCCI’s decision somewhat limits the choices for Team India players. As a rule, the ICC allows players to pick any number between 1 and 100, but in India, the options are limited. “At present, 60-odd numbers are designated to the regulars in the Indian team and those in contention. So even if a player is out of the team for about a year or so, we don’t give away his number to a new player. That means a recent debutant has just 30-odd numbers to choose from,” said a BCCI official.
It is learnt that the BCCI has informed players in the national team, especially the debutants, that they don’t have the option of numbers associated with Tendulkar and Dhoni.
Earlier this year, when 21-year-old opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was making his India debut, he was keen on No. 19, the number he has on his back when playing for Rajasthan Royals. However, since the number was designated to cricketer-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik, no longer an India regular but still an active player, he went for No. 64.
Even at the junior level, there is a scramble for ‘iconic’ numbers. During his U-19 days, the country’s most-promising young batsman, Shubman Gill, couldn’t get hold of the favourite No. 7 as it was already taken. He eventually settled for No. 77 and continues with the number even after graduating to the senior team.
Retiring jersey numbers of legendary players has been an old sporting tradition. For years now, no one at the Italian Serie A football club Napoli wears No. 10 since it was a number forever connected to their greatest player ever — Diego Maradona, who single-handedly won them the league titles in 1987 and 1990. The Chicago Bulls retired their No. 23 jersey for good after Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketballer ever and the winner of six NBA titles, called it a day. The gesture was also an acknowledgment of the overwhelming emotion among the fans at Napoli and Chicago — that there can’t be another Maradona or MJ, and thus, there can’t be another No. 10 or No. 23.
This was also the thought when the BCCI first decided to retire Tendulkar’s No. 10. Back in 2017, Mumbai fast bowler Shardul Thakur took the field wearing No. 10 and was promptly trolled fans on social media. “Trying to be Sachin” — was the trending hashtag then. The BCCI intervened and Thakur dutifully switched to 54.
Among the present India players with popular shirt numbers are Virat Kohli (18) and Rohit Sharma (45). With 18 and 45 on the back of most fans when India plays, it wouldn’t be a surprise if those jerseys are folded away in a post-Kohli and post-Rohit era.