MS Dhoni's iconic jersey number 7 to be retired by the BCCI, players barred from taking it - Reports

MS Dhoni has made himself a legacy that made him one of the finest captains in Indian Cricket history. Often determined as Captain Cool, he was the epitome of masterclass batting and unmatched captaincy. Under his reign, Team India had an unparalleled run as one of the most dominant forces in cricket. His reverence led to the number seven becoming an iconic symbol of greatness. Even though Dhoni takes part in franchise cricket, a sea of people comes down to just see him in action. 

Three things you need to know

• MS Dhoni was one of Team India's most successful captains
• Team India won three ICC titles under his reign
• Dhoni announced his retirement from International cricket in August 2020 

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MS Dhoni's number 7 jersey to be retired - Reports

As per reports, the BCCI has made sure that the young cricketers do not take the number 7, which Dhoni used to don during his International cricket career. Since the number became synonymous with MSD, who left a rich legacy behind, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to retire the iconic number seven in his honour.

The young players and current Indian team players have been told not to pick M S Dhoni’s Number 7 jersey. The BCCI has decided to retire Dhoni’s T-shirt for his contribution to the game. A new player can’t get No. 7, and No. 10 was already off the list of available numbers,” A senior Board official said to The Indian Express.

“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 don’t give away his number to a new player. That means a recent debutant has just 30-odd numbers to choose from,” A BCCI official mentioned.

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Dhoni becomes the second Indian player with his jersey number retired

Retiring a jersey number is a big tradition that has come a long way, and various sports have taken up the custom of doing so. Be it Michael Jordan's number 23 or Diego Maradona's number 10, there have been several other numbers that were retired. MS Dhoni is now the second-only Indian Cricket to have his jersey number retired, with the first man being Sachin Tendulkar. The BCCI does not allow the iconic number 10 to be worn by a player as they retired it to honour the master blaster's legacy.