This Is Why BCCI Retired The Number Ten Jersey

It did not take long for the BCCI to retire the famous number 10 jersey after fast-bowler Shardul Thakur was brutally trolled across social media for donning the jersey with the iconic number. The number 10 jersey was worn by none other than India’s greatest and most decorated batsman of all time Sachin Tendulkar and so when Thakur, while making his debut, came out with the same number written on his back during the ODI series against Sri Lanka in August this year, the fans slammed him brutally.

But while many think that the BCCI decided to retire the jersey to avoid any other player facing the same treatment, the truth is something else. The BCCI has stated that no cricketer is ready to take that number out of respect for the legendary batsman.

“It’s a very individual choice. If players don’t want to wear a certain number, one can’t force them. ICC might just tell you that a team can’t officially retire a jersey but it would never tell you that it’s mandatory to wear that number,” a BCCI official told PTI.

“The BCCI has not taken any such call (retiring the No.10 jersey). It’s a very informal thing among players. Also you don’t want young players to be abused like it happened with Shardul Thakur,” he added referring to the trolling Thakur was subjected to for wearing the number.

There is no instance of a jersey being retired in honour of a player in international cricket. However, Mumbai Indians had retired the number ten jersey in Tendulkar’s honour. The practise is also not followed in football. In fact, footballers love to don the jersey numbers with the numbers which were previously sported by the legendary players.

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