Shubman Gill, India’s prolific batter, has proved himself in international cricket across formats wearing Jersey Number 77. Despite the number working out for him, it wasn’t his preferred choice at first. He admitted the same to Star Sports Network earlier this year.
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Born in Fazilka, Punjab, Gill desperately wanted to wear Jersey Number 7 not only in senior cricket but also during his successful stint for India U-19, where he was the vice-captain. However, No. 7 was unavailable for Gill at the time.
“My jersey number is 77 and the reason behind getting the number 77 was, when I played the Under-19 World Cup, I wanted to take the number 7 but it was not available, so I took two 7s,” Gill told Star Sports Network.
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Gill couldn’t get hold of No. 7 jersey because it was already taken by one of his teammates, Shiva Singh. Singh, a slow left-arm orthodox spinner, had taken a couple of wickets in the final against Australia and helped India win the U-19 World Cup. However, at the highest level, Jersey Number 7 is more deeply attached to two-time World Cup winner Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Speaking of Dhoni and his iconic jersey, it was only earlier this week that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) decided to retire Jersey Number 7 for all future players. As a result, the legendary wicket-keeper batter became the second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar, 12th overall, to earn this honour.
Interestingly, Indian wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan, Gill’s close friend, also dons Jersey Number 32 against his original desire whilst representing India. Fond of Jersey Number 23, he wears the same for his Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians.
Shubman Gill Wears Jersey Number 7 For Gujarat Titans In The IPL
Although it wasn’t possible for Gill in international cricket, he did manage to wear Jersey Number 7 for Gujarat Titans in the IPL. Gill, who was released by Kolkata Knight Riders, played for GT in their inaugural season in 2022 wearing his desired jersey.
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Notwithstanding the latest development around this iconic jersey, the number 7 will be available for any player to wear in IPL this year as well. However, when in the Indian blue colour, the development stands.
Following a successful U-19 World Cup campaign, Gill continued wearing his jersey number 77 at the time of his IPL debut for KKR in 2018. No particular player from their squad that season used to wear Jersey Number 7. Had Gill wanted, he could’ve fulfilled his desire of wearing 7 back then. However, he simply carried on with Jersey Number 77 because of his accomplishments at the U-19 level.
