1 to 100 Jersey Numbers in Indian Cricket: Full Player List (Updated)

In Indian cricket, jersey numbers are more than just a way to tell players apart on the field. They tell personal stories, mark family memories, and sometimes change how fans remember a player’s whole career. The blue Indian jersey is one of the most famous sports uniforms in the world, and the numbers players choose often have more meaning than most people think.

Two numbers will probably never appear on an Indian cricket jersey again. MS Dhoni wore the number 7 for his entire international career, leading India to three major ICC trophies before retiring in 2020. Sachin Tendulkar made number 10 his own for over twenty years, and the BCCI has left it untouched since he played his final match in 2013. Neither number has been officially retired through a ceremony, but no player has dared to ask for them since.

This article lists every jersey number from 1 to 100, covering current stars, retired legends, and the many numbers that sit unused. Some cricketers chose their numbers based on their birthdays or family dates, while others followed astrology or just took whatever was available when they joined the team.

Full List of Indian Cricket Jersey Numbers (1 to 100)

Most numbers between 50 and 76 sit empty. Cricketers usually want numbers linked to their birth dates, which fall between 1 and 31, or they go for single digits because they look cleaner and sell better on jerseys. High numbers do not connect with fans the same way lower ones do.

Nobody has ever worn number 69 in Indian cricket. The BCCI never officially banned it, but players stay away because of what it suggests and the trolling they would face online. It is the only two-digit number with this problem.

Prithvi Shaw scored 100, making him stand out. Almost no Indian cricketer goes above 90. Bumrah has 93, Ashwin took 99, and Ishant Sharma wears 97, but that is about it. Shaw, by choosing the maximum allowed number, makes it easy to be spotted on the field.

History of Jersey Numbers in Indian Cricket

Cricket did not always have numbered jerseys. Players wore plain whites with nothing but their caps to tell them apart. India’s first Test in 1932 looked like this, and it stayed that way for decades, no matter the format.

Numbers appeared when coloured jerseys were introduced during the 1992 World Cup. The ICC wanted teams to look different in one-day games. India put on a dark blue jersey with lighter stripes. Those 1992 players were the first Indians to wear numbers in an international match, but the numbers got handed out randomly back then without anyone caring which digit they got.

Players started asking for specific numbers through the 1990s and into the 2000s. They wanted digits that matched birthdays, lucky numbers, or family dates. When the IPL started in 2008, jersey numbers turned into part of how cricketers marketed themselves. Fans bought shirts with their favorite player’s number, and that made the numbers matter even more.

How Cricketers Choose Their Jersey Numbers

Most Indian cricketers pick their numbers for personal reasons rather than just taking what’s handed to them. Virat Kohli wears 18 because his father died on December 18, 2006, and he played his first international match on August 18, 2008. That number keeps both events in his mind every time he walks onto the field.

Rohit Sharma got 45 from his mother. She told him to pick it because 4 plus 5 equals 9, and 9 matters in numerology. Rohit actually wanted 9 when he first joined the team, but someone already had it, so his mother came up with 45 as the next best thing. He kept it ever since and built one of the best limited-overs careers while wearing it.

MS Dhoni went with 7 because he was born on July 7, 1981. Three sevens made the choice obvious. The number stuck to him so hard that fans started using #7 as shorthand for his name online. People call him “Thala,” which means “leader,” and the 7 became part of that identity.

Ravindra Jadeja picked 8 based on his birthday and what numerology said would work for him. Yuvraj Singh wore 12 for astrological reasons during parts of his time with India. Some guys change their numbers after talking to astrologers or when they switch between formats. Others find one number and never let it go.

Plenty of players do not care about numerology at all. They just grab the first available number when they join the squad. Younger guys coming into the team now have a tough time getting single-digit numbers because senior players like Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja already own those and are not giving them up anytime soon.

Retired Jersey Numbers and Their Legacy

Sachin Tendulkar turned number 10 into the most famous jersey number India has ever seen. He wore it from the mid-1990s until November 2013, playing 200 Tests and 463 ODIs. Tendulkar hit 100 international centuries with that number on his back, so the connection between 10 and his hundred centuries became something fans still talk about.

The BCCI never held a retirement ceremony for number 10 as American sports leagues do, but nobody has asked for it since Tendulkar quit. It just sits there unused as a quiet tribute to 24 years of cricket. He also wore 10 for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, which further strengthened the link between player and number.

MS Dhoni had the number 7 from when he started until he retired in August 2020. He captained India to the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Dhoni stayed calm under pressure and finished games that looked lost, which is why he became one of India’s best-ever captains.

Number 7 turned into something bigger than just a jersey during Dhoni’s years. Fans wore his shirt everywhere, and the kids now see that number as off-limits. The BCCI kept it unused after he retired, as they did with 10, even though no official ceremony took place.

Jersey Numbers Across Different Formats

Some Indian players wear different numbers depending on the format or competition. MS Dhoni kept the number 7 for both India and Chennai Super Kings through most of his career. But when he played two seasons with Rising Pune Supergiant, he could not use 7 because another player already had it, so he switched temporarily.

Virat Kohli wears 18 for India now, but that was not always his number. He started with 33 in 2008 and 2009. Then he tried 112 during a Zimbabwe tour in 2010. After his father’s death, he consulted numerologists and settled on 18 in 2012. He has not changed it since for any Indian team match.

New players joining the squad often find their first choice already taken by someone senior. This pushes them to pick backup numbers or wait years for something to open up. The group of younger cricketers coming through now face a tough situation because Rohit, Kohli, RS Ambrish and Jadeja hold all the good single digits and show no sign of leaving anytime soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Stay updated on cricket stories and player profiles at JeetWin Sports for complete coverage of the game.