If you watch a modern Indian cricket match, you will see young stars wearing all sorts of numbers: Shubman Gill with 77, Yashasvi Jaiswal with 64, or Ravindra Jadeja with 8.
But you will never, ever see an Indian player walk out wearing Number 10 or Number 7.
It isn't just a coincidence, and it isn't just out of respect. It is because those two numbers have effectively become "holy property" in Indian cricket. Here is the full story of how the BCCI retired the jerseys of the two biggest icons the game has ever seen, and the "incident" that forced their hand.
For years after Sachin Tendulkar retired in 2013, the No. 10 jersey technically remained available. It was an unwritten rule that no one should touch it, but it wasn't official.
That changed in 2017.
Shardul Thakur, a young pacer from Mumbai, made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka. He walked out onto the field wearing Jersey No. 10. His reason was innocent enough: numerology. The digits of his birthdate added up to 10.
The Backlash: The reaction was instant and brutal. Fans on social media were furious. To them, seeing "10" on the back of anyone other than the "God of Cricket" felt like blasphemy. Even Rohit Sharma later joked in an interview about how Shardul got "roasted" in the dressing room for it.
The BCCI’s Decision: Realizing how emotional the fans were, the BCCI decided they couldn't leave it to chance. They unofficially "retired" the number. Shardul switched to 54, and since that day, the No. 10 has been permanently vaulted. It belongs to Sachin Tendulkar, and Sachin Tendulkar alone.
Unlike Sachin's number, which had a bit of controversy before disappearing, the retirement of No. 7 was a quiet, respectful nod to a legend.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the man who brought home three ICC trophies, made the No. 7 iconic. For him, it wasn't about luck; it was simple logic: he was born on the 7th day of the 7th month.
The Decision (December 2023): Three years after Dhoni retired from international cricket, the BCCI reportedly decided to officially retire the No. 7 jersey as well officially. The logic was simple: You cannot give a debutant the burden of wearing Dhoni’s number. The pressure to fill those shoes (and those wicketkeeping gloves) is already too high.
According to reports, the BCCI informed the current squad and debutants that "Jersey Number 7 is off the shelf." It was the ultimate tribute to "Captain Cool."
You might wonder, “If players can pick any number from 1 to 100, why does it matter if two are gone?”
It is actually quite tricky for new players to pick a number now. Here is why:
This is why you see youngsters picking high double-digits like 99, 64, or 77. Shubman Gill, for example, reportedly wanted No. 7 (because he looked up to Dhoni), but since it was taken, he simply doubled it to 77.
In franchise leagues like the NBA or football, retiring a jersey is common (like Michael Jordan’s 23). But in international cricket, it is rare.
By retiring No. 10 and No. 7, Indian cricket has admitted something powerful: These weren't just players.
So, if you are a young cricketer dreaming of playing for India, you can dream of breaking Sachin’s records or winning trophies like Dhoni. Just don't dream of wearing their numbers. Those are taken forever.
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