The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has chosen to retire the revered number 7 jersey worn by the legendary India captain, MS Dhoni. Dhoni joins Sachin Tendulkar as the second player to have their jersey retired by the BCCI.
As reported by the Indian media, the BCCI has made the decision to retire his jersey, ensuring that the number 7 jersey will no longer be allocated to any player.
Dhoni, a cricketing icon, boasts an impressive track record both as a player and a captain. During his tenure as the captain of the Indian team, he led them to victory in all major ICC tournaments: the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy.
In his career, Dhoni amassed 10,773 runs at an average of 50.57 in 350 ODI matches for India, including 10 centuries and 73 half-centuries. In T20Is, he scored 1617 runs in 98 matches, with an average of 37.60 and a strike rate of 126.13. Additionally, he accumulated 4876 runs in 97 Test matches, achieving six centuries and 33 fifties, while also making 294 dismissals as a wicketkeeper.
The tradition of retiring jerseys extends beyond cricket to sports like football and basketball. For instance, the Chicago Bulls retired the famous number 23 jersey in honour of Michael Jordan, while the Italian club Napoli did the same with Diego Maradona's legendary number 10 kit.
Under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) guidelines, players usually have the freedom to choose any number between 1 and 100 for their jerseys. However, in India, there are certain restrictions on jersey selections.
Earlier this year, 21-year-old opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had gained prominence with the Rajasthan Royals, was set to make his international debut for India. Jaiswal preferred the number 19, which he had worn at the Royals. However, the number was already claimed by Dinesh Karthik, who is not a regular member of the team. Consequently, Jaiswal had to settle for the number 64 jersey for his debut.
