Mumbai, October 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma has revealed the story behind his iconic number 45 jersey, sharing a personal anecdote involving his early cricketing days, a conversation with his mother and a number that eventually felt right to him.
Rohit, who hosts the gaming reality show ‘Family Full House with Rohit Sharma’, recounted the story during a conversation on the show with actor Rahul Lohani.
Lohani asked him about the significance of the number 45, saying, “Sir, 45 number jersey dekhte hi ya sunte hi samajh aa jaata hai logon ko ki Hitman aa gaya hai, par ye 45 number kyun choose kiya aapne, sir?”
Explaining how his journey with jersey numbers began, Rohit said he initially wanted a single-digit number when he first wore a cricket jersey. However, most of the numbers he preferred had already been taken.
“It was a very simple logic, when I played cricket in a jersey for the first time, because when you wear a jersey, you have to choose a number. So people had already chosen all the numbers, number 5, number 8, number 9. I wanted a single-digit number, but everyone had already chosen. So, the only number left for me was 19. Because I just liked the number 19. So I put on the number 19 and I played too, in the Under-19,” Rohit recalled.
However, he later learnt that he would have to change his choice if he went on to represent India, as the number 19 was already associated with former India captain Rahul Dravid.
“Then after that, I think we were playing together at that time, but I can’t remember the name right now. They told me, ‘Hey brother, this is Under-19, you will play in the India team, you can’t take this number.’ So I said, ‘Why?’ dude, and he said, ‘It’s Rahul Dravid’s number,’ and Rahul Dravid was playing with number 19 at that time, and he was the captain,” Rohit said.
With his original choice no longer an option, Rohit turned to his mother for advice. Recalling the conversation, he said, “So right after that, immediately in the evening, I reached the hotel and called mom. I told Mom, ‘Mom, I can’t play with this number.’ Now you tell me which number I should play with. So, mom picked this number ’45’ for me”.
Rohit explained that his mother initially suggested number 9, but it was already taken. He also liked the combination of 4 and 5 and felt the two digits looked good together.
“Mom told me, ‘Play with number 9, it will be good for you’. The number 9 had gone, I didn’t want to play with the number 27. So I was really liking 4 and 5 being around. So I also gave this feedback to my mom that 4-5 looks much better, so I said, ‘Mom, I’ll take this number. This is also 9, and the number on the jersey 4-5 will look very good too’”, he added.
Thus, the number 45 became an enduring part of Rohit’s identity on the cricket field.
‘Family Full House with Rohit Sharma’ is available on Sony Entertainment Television and can also be streamed on Sony LIV.
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