Retiring jerseys is a common practice in sports; in this case, MS Dhoni’s iconic No. 7 jersey has been retired by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), according to may reports citing BCCI sources. This decision was made three years after Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket. In 2017, the BCCI also gave Sachin Tendulkar a similar honor when they retired his No. 10 jersey.
The publication quoted a senior Board official as saying that to preserve the legacy of these cricketing icons, the BCCI has informed the players of the national team, especially the newcomers, about the unavailability of numbers 7 and 10, which were previously worn by Dhoni and Tendulkar, respectively.
“At present, 60-odd numbers are designated to the regulars in the Indian team and those in contention. So even if a player is out of the team for about a year or so, we do not give away his number to a new player. That means a recent debutant has just 30-odd numbers to choose from,” the publication quoted the BCCI official as saying.
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