The Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Rajeev Shukla, has expressed his approval of the decision to retire MS Dhoni’s No. 7 jersey, acknowledging Dhoni’s significant contributions to Indian cricket.
On Friday, it was reported that BCCI had chosen to retire Dhoni’s iconic No. 7 jersey as a tribute to the World Cup-winning captain, making him the second Indian player, after legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, to receive this honor. Tendulkar’s No. 10 jersey was retired by BCCI in 2017.
Shukla welcomed the decision, stating, “The decision of BCCI is an honor for MS Dhoni because of his contribution to Indian cricket. He has immensely contributed to world cricket and Indian cricket. This is a good decision. No. 7, which was associated with him, cannot be diluted…someone else who could have had that number.”
Dhoni’s cricket career spanned over 15 years, leaving an indelible mark on the sport. In Test cricket, he played 90 matches, accumulating 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09, including six centuries and 33 half-centuries. Dhoni captained India in 60 Test matches, boasting 27 victories, 18 losses, and 15 draws, with a win percentage of 45.00. Under his leadership, India achieved the number one ranking in the ICC Test Rankings, and he remains the only Indian captain to whitewash Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 series.
Dhoni’s prowess was particularly evident in ODIs, where he scored 10,773 runs in 350 matches at an impressive average of 50.57. He registered 10 centuries and 73 fifties, with the best score of 183*. Dhoni is India’s fifth-highest ODI scorer and the 11th most successful ODI batsman of all time. His achievement of scoring over 10,000 runs at an average of over 50, batting down the order, adds to the remarkable nature of his statistics.