“That is the day my parents decided I would come on earth” - MS Dhoni offers a hilarious explanation for choosing the No. 7 jersey
Former India captain and current Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni has offered a hilarious explanation for choosing seven as his jersey number. He said that it was the day his parents decided that he would come to earth and hence it was easy for him to pick his jersey number.
The No. 7 jersey has been synonymous with Dhoni, who led India to World Cup glory in 2007 (T20) and 2011 (ODI). In fact, as a mark of respect to the legendary cricketer and to honor his contribution to Indian cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) retired the No.7 jersey in December 2023.
At a recent event, the anchor asked Dhoni to spill the beans about why he specifically chose seven as his jersey number. Known for his witty replies, the Indian legend explained at a promotional event for Single.ID:
“That is the time or day my parents decided I would come on earth. So, I was born on the 7th Of July. So July again the seventh month. 81 was the year so 8-1=7. So it was very easy for me to go out there when they asked me, ‘okay, what number do you want’.”
Dhoni is regarded as one of the greatest white-ball cricketers to have ever played the game. The Ranchi-born keeper-batter first made a name for himself with his amazing big-hitting ability with the bat but subsequently established himself as one of the greatest finishers of all time.
The 42-year-old played 350 ODIs for India, amassing 10,773 runs at an average of 50.57 and a strike rate of 87.56, with 10 hundreds and 73 fifties. Dhoni also represented India in 90 Tests and 98 T20Is, scoring 4,876 and 1,617 runs respectively. He was the captain when India last won an ICC trophy - the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
Dhoni was recently spotted using a bat with a sticker of his childhood friend's sports shop
In a recent picture that went viral on social media, the former India captain was seen practicing with a bat that had a sticker of his childhood friend's sports shop 'Prime Sports'.
'Prime Sports' is a sports shop owned by Dhoni’s childhood friend Paramjit Singh, who is said to have helped him bag one of his initial bat sponsorship deals.
Dhoni has hit the nets as part of his preparations for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The keeper-batter led CSK to a record-equaling fifth title triumph in 2023.