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Virat Kohli might have retired from Test cricket, but his iconic number 18 jersey has endured on the red-ball fields for India. On Thursday (October 30), wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant wore it while playing for India ‘A’ against South Africa ‘A’ at the BCCI Center of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru. Returning to competitive action after three months, Pant is leading the team, which includes several fringe players of the Test set-up, like Devdutt Padikkal and Khaleel Ahmed. Kohli retired from Tests earlier this year, and officially, his number 18 is up for grabs. While most fans were simply curious about it, some seemed pretty angry about this. One wrote on X: “Rishabh Pant is making a mockery of No. 18. Is he doing this to get GG’s attention? He is wearing the No. 18 jersey. This is King Kohli’s jersey. In the sports world, when a legend retires, his number is not given to another player as a sign of respect.” Pant is not the first to wear the number for India ‘A’. Pant’s former teammate at Delhi Capitals and India fast-bowler Mukesh Kumar wore it for the team against England Lions before the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and was trolled viciously for it. However, as reported by news agency PTI at the time, India ‘A’ jersey numbers aren’t as sacrosanct as the international ones and are often picked randomly with little thought. “Mukesh wore No. 18 during the opening ‘Test’ match versus Lions,” the news agency quoted a senior BCCI official as saying. “But when it comes to India A squad, there are no fixed numbers as jerseys don’t have names. Anyone can pick any random number. The jersey numbers are only sacrosanct for international games.” The news agency also reported that Kohli’s kit has been all but retired for the near future because no player is likely to take up the challenge and the weight of it in their international careers. Meanwhile, India A won the toss and opted to field in the match. India A’s Playing 11: Sai Sudharsan, Ayush Mhatre, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Rishabh Pant (WK/C), Ayush Badoni, Tanush Kotian, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar and Khaleel Ahmed South Africa A’s Playing 11: Marques Ackerman (C), Jordan Hermann, Lesego Senokwane, Zubayr Hamza, Rubin Hermann, Rivaldo Moonsamy (WK), Tiaan van Vuuren, Prenelan Subrayen, Tshepo Moreki and Lutho Sipamla, Okuhle Cele
