Three years ago, Dhoni retired from all forms of international cricket on 15th August 2020 but he is continuing to play for the franchise board and is set to lead Chennai Super Kings this IPL 2024 season. Now, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to retire the No. 7 jersey, which was synonymous with former India captain MS Dhoni, in honor of his significant contributions to the sport. This decision, similar to the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar's No. 10 shirt, means that no other Indian cricketer will be allowed to wear the iconic No. 7 jersey, as a tribute to Dhoni's legacy and achievements in the game.
"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 list of available numbers," said a senior Board official.
They also elaborated that a total of 60 numbers have presently been allotted to the Indian team's players.
"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.
Indian team all-rounder, Shardul Thakur was the last player who wore jersey no. 10 for a short time while he was playing for Mumbai Indian but no sooner he was allotted no. 54. Besides Jersey No. 7 and 10, Rohit Sharma's and Virat Kohli's jersey no. 45 and 18 are the most popular among fans worldwide.
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