Suresh Raina strictly tells Jay Shah to pay MS Dhoni-like tribute to Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli with jersey retirement

Suresh Raina has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to pay an MS Dhoni-style tribute to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma following their retirement from T20Is. Suresh Raina stated that the BCCI should retire Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's jersey numbers 18 and 45, respectively, from Indian cricket.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma concluded their T20I careers on a high note with a victory over South Africa in the final match of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados. Rohit and Virat won the World Cup trophy together for the first time. Notably, the veteran batters are the top two leading run scorers in T20I history.

Rohit Sharma scored 4,231 runs in 151 T20I matches at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate over 140. He hit five centuries and 32 half-centuries, with a highest score of 121*. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli amassed 4,188 runs in 125 matches at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04, including one century and 38 fifties.

They Need To Have A Special Occasion - Suresh Raina

Speaking on Jio Cinema, Suresh Raina urged the BCCI to retire jersey numbers 18 (Virat Kohli) and 45 (Rohit Sharma) as a tribute to the retiring veterans. Raina suggested that their retirement would inspire future generations of players. He highlighted the retirement of jersey number 7 after MS Dhoni's exit.

"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 said on Jio Cinema.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played pivotal roles in India's victory in the T20 World Cup. Rohit was the top run-scorer for India in the marquee tournament. Virat played a crucial innings of 76 runs in the final to help secure the win. The Men in Blue maintained an unbeaten record throughout the tournament.

That's Exactly What You Need To Do - Abhinav Mukund

Former Indian opener Abhinav Mukund echoed Suresh Raina's suggestion to retire the jerseys of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Mukund highlighted how retiring the jerseys of legendary players adds prestige, drawing parallels with practices in the NBA.

"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 during an open bus parade in Mumbai on Thursday, July 4. The batting duo danced to the song 'Chak de India' at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. They will continue to play in the Test and ODI formats despite retiring from T20 cricket.

Also read: Rahul Dravid chokes with emotions as he thanks Rohit Sharma