The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made the decision to retire the iconic No.7 jersey, and as a result, current Indian cricketers have been instructed not to choose Dhoni’s jersey number.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently conveyed to the young Indian players that they will no longer be able to request for MS Dhoni’s iconic No.7 jersey. This decision comes after Sachin Tendulkar’s No.10 jersey was retired by the BCCI in 2017. Previously, cricketers were allowed to choose their preferred jersey number before their debut for the Indian team, with options ranging from 1 to 100 as per ICC rules. However, the BCCI has now informed the young players that the No.7 jersey is no longer available for selection.
The young and current Indian team players have received instructions to refrain from selecting M S Dhoni’s Number 7 jersey. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made the decision to retire Dhoni’s T-shirt as a tribute to his remarkable contributions to the game. As per a senior BCCI official quoted by The Indian Express, the number 7 is now unavailable for new players, and the number 10 was already excluded from the list of available numbers.
Dhoni’s retirement occurred three and a half years after he bid farewell to the sport in August 2020. Nevertheless, his final match saw him donning India’s jersey No.7 during the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Manchester, England.
Dhoni’s legacy in Indian cricket is undeniable, as he will be remembered as one of the most prominent figures. Notably, he holds the distinction of being the sole captain to have triumphed in all three ICC tournaments in the white-ball format.
Dhoni, the influential cricketer from Ranchi, led a young Indian team to triumph in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup held in South Africa. After four years, India’s long-awaited victory in the ODI World Cup finally arrived when Dhoni struck that unforgettable six at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during the final of the 2011 World Cup against Sri Lanka. In 2013, Dhoni once again showcased his leadership skills by guiding India to victory in the Champions Trophy, which remains India’s most recent ICC title.
Currently serving as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Dhoni has an impressive record representing India in 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is, accumulating 4876, 10773, and 1617 runs respectively.
Furthermore, Dhoni holds the remarkable record for the highest number of dismissals by an Indian wicketkeeper. With 634 catches and 195 stumpings to his name, he ranks as the third most successful wicketkeeper in the history of the game, trailing behind South Africa’s Mark Boucher and Australia’s Adam Gilchrist.
The practice of retiring jersey numbers in Indian cricket has limited the options available for young cricketers. Currently, only the numbers of retired players can be chosen by new players entering the team.
According to a BCCI official, there are around 60 numbers designated for regular and potential players in the Indian team. Even if a player is out of the team for a year or so, his number is not given to a new player. This means that a debutant only has a limited selection of around 30 numbers to choose from.
A recent report highlights the case of Yashasvi Jaiswal, a young Indian opener, who wanted to wear jersey No.19. However, since Dinesh Karthik still uses that number and has not retired, Jaiswal had to settle for No.64.
