"Now that's a 'Thala for a reason'" - Fans erupt as BCCI reportedly retires MS Dhoni's No. 7 jersey

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to retire jersey No. 7 in former captain MS Dhoni's honor. According to reports, the board has already communicated with the players that they will not be able to choose that particular number.

Dhoni is widely regarded as one of India's most successful captains. The keeper-batter is also the only skipper in world cricket to win all three major ICC trophies - the T20 World Cup, the ODI World Cup, and The Champions Trophy - in white-ball cricket.

It is worth mentioning that the No. 7 will be the second jersey to be retired by the Indian board after Sachin Tendulkar's iconic No. 10 jersey.

Here's how some fans reacted to the news on social media:

A senior BCCI official told the Indian Express about the developments:

"The young players and current Indian team players have been told not to pick M S Dhoni’s Number 7 jersey. The BCCI has decided to retire Dhoni’s T-shirt for his contribution to the game. A new player can’t get No. 7, and No. 10 was already off the list of available numbers."

Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020. The seasoned campaigner, however, continues to lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

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"It's one number that is close to my heart" - MS Dhoni on choosing the No. 7 jersey

During a virtual interaction at an India Cements event in 2022, MS Dhoni revealed why he picked No. 7 as his jersey number. He mentioned that he chose the number simply because he was born on the seventh day of the seventh month.

"A lot of people initially thought that 7 is a lucky number for me and all of that. But I chose the number for a very simple reason. I was born on the 7th of July. So it's the seventh day of the seventh month, that was the reason," he revealed.

"Then whenever people kept asking me, I kept adding to the answer. 81 was the year, 8-1 is again 7, 7 is a very neutral number. I am not very superstitious about it, but it's one number that is close to my heart and I have kept it over the years with me." Dhoni added.

MS Dhoni will be seen in action next year during the IPL 2024. CSK clinched a record-equalling fifth title with their win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2023 final.