MS Dhoni's iconic No. 7 jersey retired by BCCI

In a tribute to India's former cricket captain, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly decided to retire the iconic No. 7 jersey carried by MS Dhoni. Although Dhoni retired from international cricket in August 2020, he remains active in franchise cricket and will lead the Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

While wearing the No. 7, Dhoni led India to three white-ball ICC titles: the T20 World Cup in 2007, the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013.

This decision follows the BCCI's official retirement of Sachin Tendulkar's No. 10 jersey in 2017. The BCCI has informed the national team that the jersey numbers worn by Dhoni (7) and Tendulkar (10) are no longer available, even for new players entering the team.


Shardul Thakur, a Mumbai fast bowler, temporarily wore the No. 10 shirt during his early days with the Indian side and was instantly mocked on social media. However, after a highly publicised occurrence, that number was retired. The BCCI quickly pulled the No. 7 shirt from players' availability.

Retiring jersey numbers is a great way to honour outstanding athletes and preserve their legacies. Icons such as Diego Maradona and Michael Jordan had their jersey numbers retired as a tribute to their remarkable achievements to their respective sports.