The iconic number 7 jersey worn by legendary India captain MS Dhoni has been retired by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Dhoni became the second player after Sachin Tendulkar to have his jersey retired by the BCCI.
India Today has learnt that looking to Dhoni’s contribution to the sport, BCCI has decided to retire his jersey. The number 7 jersey will not be available for any player to use.
Dhoni, an iconic figure in cricket, boasts a stellar record both as a player and captain. As the Indian team’s skipper, he led his team to victory in all major ICC trophies, namely the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy.
Dhoni amassed 10,773 runs at an average of 50.57 in 350 ODI matches for India, hitting 10 centuries and 73 half-centuries. In T20Is, Dhoni scored 1617 runs in 98 matches, averaging 37.60 while striking at 126.13. He scored 4876 runs in 97 Test matches, hitting six hundreds and 33 fifties, while also making 294 dismissals as a wicketkeeper.
The tradition of retiring jersies is not just restricted to cricket, with football and basketball teams doing the same. Chicago Bulls retired the famous number 23 jersey in honor of Michael Jordan while Italian club Napoli did the same with Diego Maradona’s legendary number 10 kit.
Under the guidelines of the International Cricket Council (ICC), it is customary practice for players to choose any number between 1 and 100 for their jerseys. However, the scope of selections is somewhat restricted in India.
