Suresh Raina urges BCCI to retire jerseys of Kohli and Sharma after T20I retirement

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has called on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to retire the jersey numbers 18 and 45 in honor of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, respectively. This appeal comes after Kohli and Sharma announced their retirement from T20 International cricket following India's triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Raina emphasized that just as BCCI has retired jersey numbers 10 and 7 for cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, it should do the same for Kohli and Sharma. He believes that retiring these jersey numbers will inspire young cricketers and allow them to create their own legacy.

“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 told JioCinema.

Former cricketer Abhinav Mukund supported Raina's suggestion, noting the pressure that future players would face if they were to wear these iconic numbers. He drew a parallel with the National Basketball Association (NBA), where retiring legendary jerseys is a common practice.

“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,” he further added.

Both Kohli and Sharma were seen celebrating India's T20 World Cup victory in Mumbai, where they held the trophy and danced to the song ‘Chak de India’ at Wankhede Stadium. While they have stepped away from T20 cricket, they will continue to play in Test and One Day International (ODI) formats.