The Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) on Friday decided to 'retire' World Cup winning captain MS Dhoni's No.7 jersey to honour his rich contribution to Indian cricket. The iconic India captain last played for the country in the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand. He announced his retirement on August 15, 2020 and no other player has worn the No.7 shirt since then. (More Cricket News)
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.
"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.
Retiring jersey numbers is not new in the sporting world. Here are a few jersey numbers that were retired in the world of sport:
Shaquille O'Neal (Basketball)
Basketball icon Shaquille O'Neal had his famous LA Lakers No.34 jersey retired during a ceremony held at the famous Staples Center back in 2013. O'Neal spent eight seasons with the Lakers (1996-2004) wherein he won back-to-back titles from 2000-02. O'Neal hung up his boots in 2011 in a stellar NBA career that saw him rake up 15 All-Star appearances, four titles, one MVP awards and three Finals MVP awards.
Diego Maradona (Football)
The iconic No.10 jersey is very familiar with Lionel Messi but it was his countryman and the great Diego Maradona, who wore it first and made a sensation. Maradona had signed for the Italian side SSC Napoli back in 1984 but after three seasons with the club, he led them to their first Scudetto in 1987 and the UEFA Cup in 1989. Maradona had a special place in the heart of the Napoli fans and that is why in 2000, the club decided to retire the iconic jersey. They even renamed the stadium name after the Argentine post his death.
Phil Hughes (Cricket)
Cricket faced a dark day in it's rich vein of history when it saw Aussie cricketer Phillip Hughes succumb to injuries after receiving a blow on his head during a Sheffield Shield game. The then-skipper Michael Clarke put out a statement stating that Hughes' 64 shirt number to be retired. He said, "“Last night, I asked Cricket Australia if Hughesy’s Australian one-day international shirt number, 64, could be retired, to which they agreed. That means so much. His legacy of trying to improve each and every day will drive us for the rest of our lives."
Jules Bianchi (Formula One)
In 2015, Formula One body the FIA decided to retire Jules Bianchi's car number 17, to honour the late Frenchman. Bianchi, passed away in the same year following the devastating brain injuries he had sustained in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix. President of the FIA, Jean Todt, confirmed that his No17 will be absent from the grand prix grid in future.
