New Delhi: The BCCI has decided to ‘retire’ the No.7 jersey worn by World Cup-winning captain M S Dhoni as a tribute to his rich contributions to Indian cricket.
The iconic captain M S Dhoni last wore the No.7 jersey in the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand. Since announcing his retirement on August 15, 2020, the No.7 shirt has remained unclaimed by any other player as a mark of respect for his cricketing legacy.
Much like how Sachin Tendulkar’s No.10 jersey was treated following his retirement in 2013, M S Dhoni’s No.7 remains unclaimed. The only exception was pacer Shardul Thakur, who chose No.10 on his ODI debut in 2017 but faced significant online criticism. Since then, no player has worn a jersey with the number 10 on the back.
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.
The practice of retiring jerseys is not unique to cricket; it is also observed in other sports. An example is the Chicago Bulls retiring the No.23 jersey worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan after his retirement.
Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, whose international career overlapped with Dhoni’s, was among the early voices advocating for the retirement of the No.7 jersey after the World Cup-winning captain announced his retirement in 2020. Both Karthik and Dhoni were part of the unfortunate World Cup semifinal against New Zealand.
“Hope the BCCI retires the No.7 jersey in white ball cricket,” Karthik had posted back then.