New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a step to pay tribute to the former captain, MS Dhoni, by deciding to retire the No. 7 jersey associated with him. This jersey, which became synonymous with Dhoni's career, particularly during his captaincy tenure and achievements in ICC events, will no longer be available for current and future Indian players.

Just as Sachin Tendulkar's No. 10 jersey was previously retired by the Indian board, the decision to retire Dhoni's No. 7 jersey underscores the profound impact he had on Indian cricket. Sources reveal that the BCCI has communicated to current players that the No. 7 jersey is off-limits, mirroring the protocol established for Tendulkar's iconic No. 10.

The Indian Express has corroborated this information, quoting a senior BCCI official who stated, "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."

It is noteworthy that during his early days, fast bowler Shardul Thakur briefly wore the No. 10 shirt, but the BCCI retired the number after that period.

The BCCI official further explained that a total of 60 numbers are presently designated for regular and aspiring players in the Indian team. Even if a player is temporarily out of the team, the board refrains from reassigning their number to a new player, leaving recent debutants with a limited pool of around 30 numbers to choose from.

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Mullanpur (PTI): Rajasthan Royals defeated Punjab Kings by six wickets in their Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.

Invited to bat, opener Prabhsimran Singh scored 59 up front while Marcus Stoinis provided the final flourish with an unbeaten 62 off 22 balls as Punjab Kings posted 222 for 4.

The Royals then put up a collective batting effort to overhaul the target with four balls to spare.

Earlier, leg spinner Yash Punja picked up two wickets for the visitors.

Brief Scores:

Punjab Kings: 222 for 4 in 20 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 59, Marcus Stoinis 62 not out; Yash Punja 2/41).

Rajasthan Royals: 228 for 4 in 19.2 overs (Yashasvi Jasiwal 51, Donovan Ferreira 52 not out; Yuzvendra Chahal 3/36)