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Mahendra Singh Dhoni's iconic No 7 jersey won't be available to any Indian player as the BCCI has decided to 'retire' the jersey number as a tribute to the World Cup winning skipper.
"Three years after he hung his boots as an international cricketer, the Indian cricket board, in a tribute to his contribution to the sport, has decided to ‘retire’ the number sported by the World Cup-winning captain," said a report in The Indian Express on Friday.
Dhoni, who led India to two World Cup titles -- T20 World Cup in 2007 and ODI World Cup in 2011 -- called it quits from international cricket on August 15, 2020. However, the 42-year-old still continues to lead Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
Sachin Tendulkar is the only other cricketer to have been bestowed with a similar honour. His No 10 jersey was 'retired' in 2017 four years after he had retired from cricket.
"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 BCCI official was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.