Image Source: AP
[Saba Sports News] Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to retire jersey numbers 18 and 45 in honor of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who announced their retirement from T20I cricket after winning the T20 World Cup 2024.
Raina pointed out that the BCCI had previously retired the number 7 jersey for MS Dhoni and suggested they do the same for Kohli and Sharma. He believes that seeing these iconic jersey numbers would motivate young players to create their own legacies. “I request the BCCI to retire jerseys No.18 and No.45. They need to have a special occasion where they keep these jersey numbers in their office. The number 7 is already retired; they should do the same for 18 and 45. Every person who sees the number should get motivated. The numbers 18 and 45 have won India games from so many situations that whichever player comes into the team, they should feel motivated by just looking at these numbers,” Raina told JioCinema.
Former cricketer Abhinav Mukund agreed, noting the pressure on any player who would wear jerseys 18 or 45. He suggested that BCCI follow the National Basketball Association (NBA) practice of retiring iconic jerseys. “I follow the NBA, and they retire the players’ iconic jerseys. That’s exactly what you need to do. Imagine the pressure on the next guy who is going to wear the No.18 jersey and walk out to bat,” Mukund said.
Both Kohli and Sharma celebrated India’s T20 World Cup victory in Mumbai, holding the trophy and dancing to ‘Chak de India’ at Wankhede Stadium. They will continue to play in Test and ODI cricket, after which the BCCI might consider retiring their jersey numbers.