There is little chance any of the players will wear MS Dhoni's No.7 jersey in Test Championship, says senior BCCI official

With the Test Championship set to be kicked off with the Ashes series in England, followed by India’s tour of the West Indies, spectators for the first time will see players in whites with numbers and names on their backs. Veteran MS Dhoni, who retired from Test cricket in 2014 and his No.7 jersey is up for grabs, in case any of the current crop considers the option. However, a BCCI officials stated that it is unlikely any cricketer will consider that option.

“Since MS is no longer playing Test cricket, jersey No.7 is available but there is very little chance that any of the players will wear it," a senior BCCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The BCCI was faced with a similar dilemma after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar called the curtains on his illustrious career. Shardul Thakur, another Mumbaikar, who wore Sachin’s No.10 briefly, was heavily trolled on social media. The BCCI seems to have unofficially retired that jersey since. It is likely they may also do the same with Dhoni’s number, given the player’s stature in Indian cricket.

"People relate jersey No 7 with MS. The consignment of numbered jerseys will only arrive in the Caribbean only after ODI series," the official added.

It is understood that the Indian players will simply wear their respective ODI numbers for the longer format as well. 

"Virat is expected to wear 18 while Rohit wears 45. Most of the players will wear their respective ODI and T20 numbers,” the official added.

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