5 legendary cricketers whose jerseys should be retired forever

In the 1995-96 Tri-series in Australia, something unique was going to happen. Well, Australia was always ready to make changes in the game and trying to introduce something new all the time. First, it was the entire concept of day-night ODI matches with white balls, which revolutionised the sport forever. But, this time it was a very simple thing. It was the addition of jersey numbers on the back of the shirt which players wore.

Since then, the use of numbers on the back of a t-shirt has been done. Many players use their lucky numbers or a number associated with them. While some players keep their back empty intentionally. For instance, Virender Sehwag had given up his jersey number after failing to adjust to one. He went on to play international cricket during the latter part of his career without a number on his back.

Some jersey numbers become iconic for the players who carry it. There have many cases in sports when international teams or clubs have retired a jersey number for paying tribute to a certain player. Basically, once the number is retired by a particular team, no player ever can have the same number.

Let’s take a look at the 5 legendary cricketers whose jerseys should be retired forever:

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is probably one of the best players to have played the sport. But, if longevity is considered then he probably is the best batsman ever to have played the game. Staying on top of the game for close to 24 years is something incredible and the Mumbaikar achieved it remarkably.

Starting out in 1989, Tendulkar went on to play 200 Test matches until 2013. In these matches, Sachin Tendulkar scored 15921 runs, most by any cricketer ever. This record will probably stay for a very long time, considering how lesser Test cricket is played by the top batsman compared to Tendulkar’s era.

If that wasn’t enough, the Mumbai batsman has also scored 18426 ODI runs in 463 matches, which he played during the period from 1989 to 2012. When it comes to centuries, he has scored the most in both ODIs and Tests, a total tally which is of 100 centuries, the first and only in the history of cricket to do so. Interestingly, when he got there, most of his competitors were quite far and the gap hasn’t been bridged until now.

More than this record, it’s the ability and the impact Sachin had on the Indian sport is what makes him so great. For an entire generation of young cricketers, Sachin was the inspiration. Through the 1990s, there was a saying in cricket ‘If Sachin gets out India loses the game.’ Such was the impact of that one man on an entire nation. There is no doubt if you have to retire someone’s jersey number, it has to be Sachin Tendulkar. His jersey number 10 as iconic as his straight drive.