MS Dhoni retires: Karthik leads calls for Indian Jersey number 7 to be retired

Bengaluru, August 16: Following the announcement of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's retirement, fans and cricketers called for the number 7 jersey to follow suit as a tribute to the former Indian captain on social media.

India wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik on Sunday (August 16) became the first to voice the opinion in his tribute to the former captain, who drew curtains on his career with a simple "consider me retired" on his social media page.

"This is the last photo taken after our semis at the World Cup.lots of great memories through this journey. I hope the @bcci retire the #7 jersey in white ball cricket," Karthik tweeted with a photo of him and Dhoni after the World Cup semifinal loss to New Zealand last year.

"Good luck with your second innings in life , I'm sure you''ll have a lot of surprises for us there too," added Karthik.

This is the last photo taken after our semis at the World Cup.lots of great memories through this journey. I hope the @bcci retire the #7 jersey in white ball cricket ❤️

Good luck with your second innings in life , I’m sure you’ll have a lot of surprises for us there too 🙂💖 pic.twitter.com/4kX4uPhPOO

— DK (@DineshKarthik) August 16, 2020

The demand was also agreed by a prominent voice within BCCI as the cricket body's apex counil member and former India women's team captain Shantha Rangaswamy said Dhoni deserves the accolade.

"I am glad he has retired when people are asking why and why not. His contribution both as player and captain has been immense. Considering that, retiring the jersey will be fitting tribute to him," she told PTI. "He surely deserves it," she said.

The only instance of a jersey being retired in Indian cricket was when Sachin Tendulkar bid adieu to the game. The ICC does not object to jersey retirements, leaving it on individual boards to take a call on the matter.

Indian women's ODI team captain Mithali Raj also joined the bandwagon and said that Dhoni has immortalised the no.7 jersey.

"The man who immortalised jersey no.7, whose sharp mind and a cool head earned him the tag of #CaptionCool , the man who fulfilled billion indian dreams by two World Cup trophies and who bid adieu in his inimitable style. Congratulations #MSDhoni on an outstanding career," she wrote on Twitter.

The man who immortalised jersey no.7, whose sharp mind and a cool head earned him the tag of #CaptionCool , the man who fulfilled billion indian dreams by two World Cup trophies and who bid adieu in his inimitable style. Congratulations #MSDhoni on an outstanding career #Thala pic.twitter.com/3mpjVX268l

— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) August 16, 2020

After Karthik, Shantha Rangaswamy and Mithali calls for the number 7 jersey to be retired, Dhoni's legions of fans also said the jersey only belonged to Dhoni.

"As a die hard Dhoni fan I request @bcci to retire jersey no. 7 as a mark of respect for his endless contribution to the game," wrote a fan on Twitter.

A Twitter account named "M S Dhoni Fans Official", asked its more than half a million followers to "Retweet if you want BCCI to retire Jersey no. 7!"

Retweet if you want BCCI to retire Jersey no. 7!❤️#RetireJersey7 #Dhoni @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/0mQB2Ax6xo

— MS Dhoni Fans Official (@msdfansofficial) August 16, 2020