The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to retire the iconic No. 7 jersey worn by former Indian skipper MS Dhoni in honour of his contribution to the sport. Dhoni hung his boots from international cricket in 2020 after an illustrious career that saw him lead India to victories in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2007, the ICC Men's ODI World Cup in 2011, and also the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.
Even the great Sachin Tendulkar's No.10 has not been worn any other player since his retirement in 2013 except pacer Shardul Tahkur, who had opted for No.10 on his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2017 but was trolled heavily on social media. No one since then has played with a jersey with number 10 written on the back.
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According to BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, the Board took the decision on Thursday. "He is a legendary player. His contribution to Indian as well as world cricket is immense. To honour his contribution, the decision to retire number seven has been taken by the BCCI," Shukla told PTI.
Following the footsteps of the NBA
Retiring jerseys of the greats is a phenomenon in other sports too. The Chicago Bulls retired the No.23 jersey worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan following his retirement.
India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, whose international career coincided with Dhoni's, was among the first ones to demand for the No.7 jersey to be retired after the World Cup winning captain's retirement in 2020. Both Karthik and Dhoni happened to play in that ill-fated World Cup semifinal against New Zealand. "Hope the BCCI retires the No.7 jersey in white ball cricket," Karthik had posted back then.
(With PTI inputs)
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