Whose jersey number is 18 in cricket
Players in the sport of cricket traditionally do not make use of jersey numbers to identify themselves as in other sports such as football or basketball. Instead, they are recognized by their names and roles on the team (batsman, bowler, wicket-keeper etc.). For a long time, individual number jerseys were not part of cricket’s tradition and players would just wear shirts displaying their national team’s logo. However, this has changed over the years with advents like One Day Internationals and T20 cricket where teams started using numbered jerseys for easy identification and commercial reasons.
Introduction To Jersey Numbers In Cricket
In cricket, a player’s number is typically placed on the back of his/her jersey and can range from 1 to 99. The introduction of jersey numbers in cricket began during limited-over matches like ODIs and T20Is due to practical need – With matches played under floodlights and multiple camera angles broadcasting them live worldwide, it became easier for viewers to keep track of players involved in any ongoing action if their jersey carried a distinctive number.
However, unlike some sports where a particular number might hold special prestige or symbolism attached to it (such as no.10 in soccer), there is no such significance attached to jersey numbers in cricket — each cricketer has the liberty to pick any available jersey number before a tournament begins.
The Case Of Jersey Number 18
The question then arises – who wears #18 in cricket? I should clarify that because we’re talking about an international game with hundreds of professional athletes playing around the world, different players may have worn or continue to wear the same jersey number across separate tournaments or leagues. Now coming back to our topic about ‘Number 18’:
India’s star batsman Virat Kohli is famous for wearing an ’18’ shirt when representing India at ODI and T20I level.
Full Video in Youtube
Why Virat Kohli Chose Number 18
For many athletes, the number on their jersey is more than just a random figure. Often, it’s a representation of something deeply meaningful to them. In the case of Virat Kohli, not only did he inherit his cricket talent from his father but also, in some respects, his lucky number ’18’.
Kohli’s choice of donning the jersey number 18 carries an emotional rationale behind it– The inspiring and stalwart athlete had unfortunately lost his beloved father on December 18. To commemorate his deceased father’s undying support towards making Kohli’s cricketing dreams come true and cherishing that significant date in memory of him, VIRAT KOHLI always wears a No.18 shirt while playing for India.
The year-long ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 saw quite an extraordinary display by Virat wearing number 18 with fervor. It was followed by T20 matches where each game marked with stellar moments etched around #18.
Other Players Who Wear Number 18
As mentioned before, since there isn’t any hard rule against different players sporting the same numbers (within separate teams or leagues), other cricketers have also worn jerseys carrying #18 — For instance, Pakistani player Haris Sohail wore this number at international ODI level, as has England’s Alex Hales.
While these examples may focus on male cricketers particularly due to a higher broadcasting frequency of men’s cricket internationally, one should remember there are multiple women cricketers who might’ve chosen the same number for their jerseys too across tournaments worldwide – Whether at International Women’s One Day Internationals or country-specific women’s cricket premier leagues etcetera!
To conclude, the practice of selecting specific jersey numbers varies depending upon individual preferences which can stem out from personal significance attached to certain figures, sheer numerological bias or random choice.
