For cricket fans, the number 45 is instantly associated with Rohit Sharma, fondly known as the 'Hitman'. But behind the iconic jersey number lies a personal story involving an early cricketing memory, a conversation with his mother, and a number that simply felt right to him. On Family Full House with Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricketer opened up about how he chose the jersey number that has become synonymous with his identity on the field. During the conversation, Rahul Lohani asked Rohit 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 (Sir, the moment people see or hear about the No. 45 jersey, they immediately know that the Hitman has arrived. But why did you choose the number 45, sir)?"
Recounting the story behind his choice, Rohit explained: "Iska bada simple sa logic tha. Maine jab pehli baar jersey mein cricket khela, kyunki aap jersey pehente ho toh aapko number choose karna padta hai. Toh logon ne sab number choose kar liye the, number 5, number 8, number 9. Mujhe single-digit number chahiye tha, lekin sab logon ne choose kar liya tha. Toh mere paas bacha number 19. Kyunki woh 19 number mujhe bas aise hi achha lag raha tha. Toh maine 19 number daal ke khela bhi Under-19 mein (It was actually a very simple reason. When I played cricket in a jersey for the first time, you have to choose a number for your jersey. By then, most of the numbers had already been taken, like No. 5, No. 8 and No. 9. I wanted a single-digit number, but all of them had already been chosen. So, the only number left for me was 19. I just happened to like the number 19, so I played with No. 19, including at the Under-19 level)."
However, Rohit soon learned that he would have to reconsider his choice if he went on to represent the Indian team. Explaining how he discovered this, he shared: "Phir uske baad, I think mere saath ek player khel raha tha uss time, abhi mujhe naam yaad nahi aa raha hai. Unhone mujhe bola, 'Arey bhai, ye Under-19 mein theek hai, India team mein khelega na tu, ye number nahi le sakta hai.' Toh maine pucha, 'Kyun?' Toh bole, 'Rahul Dravid ka number hai.' Aur Rahul Dravid uss time 19 number se khel rahe the, aur woh captain the. ( After that, I think there was a player playing with me at that time, though I can't remember his name now. He told me, 'Look, it's fine in the Under-19 team, but if you go on to play for the Indian team, you won't be able to take that number.' So I asked, 'Why?' He replied, 'It's Rahul Dravid's number.' At that time, Rahul Dravid was playing with the No. 19 jersey, and he was also the captain)."
With his original choice no longer an option, Rohit turned to his mother for advice. Recalling the conversation, he said: "Toh tabhi uske baad, turant shaam ko hotel pahunchkar maine mummy ko phone kiya. Mummy ko bola, 'Mummy, is number se nahi khel sakta hoon. Ab aap mujhe batao ki kaun se number se khelna chahiye.' Toh mummy ne mere liye ye number pick kiya, '45'. Mummy ne mujhe bola, '9 number se khel, tere liye achha rahega.' 9 number chala gaya tha, 27 number se khelna nahi tha mujhe. Toh mujhe 4 aur 5 aaju-baaju mein bahut achha lag raha tha. Toh maine mummy ko bhi ye feedback diya ki 4-5 zyada achha lag raha hai. Toh maine kaha, 'Mummy, ye number leta hoon main. Ye 9 bhi hota hai aur jersey par bhi 4-5 bahut achha lagega.' (After that, as soon as I reached the hotel that evening, I called my mother. I told her, 'Mom, I can't play with this number. Now you tell me which number I should play with.' So my mother picked the number '45' for me. She told me, 'Play with number 9, it will be lucky for you.' But number 9 was already taken, and I didn't want to play with number 27. I really liked 4 and 5 next to each other. So I also told my mother that 4 and 5 looked much better together. Then I said, 'Mom, I'll take this number. It also adds up to 9, and 4 and 5 will look really good on the jersey as well)."
Through this anecdote, Rohit revealed the personal story behind a number that fans now instantly recognise. What began as a practical choice, shaped by the availability of jersey numbers and his mother's suggestion, eventually became an inseparable part of his identity as the Hitman.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/KbH3GjC
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