The shirt number 45 is now deeply tied to Indian batting icon Rohit Sharma, fondly referred to as the ‘Hitman’. Although spectators immediately spot the digits when he steps onto the pitch, the narrative surrounding how he picked it is deeply personal, connecting his early playing career, former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, and above all, his mother.
The star cricketer recently revealed the origin of his famous digit selection during an appearance on his gaming reality series, ‘Family Full House with Rohit Sharma.’
Rohit Sharma’s original selection was jersey No. 19
Rohit’s path to wearing 45 traces back to his formative days in cricket. When he first needed to wear a shirt with a number on it, many sought-after digits like 5, 8, and 9 were already claimed by teammates.
Describing his initial choice, Rohit shared: “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.”
Since his top picks were taken, he opted for number 19 simply because he took a liking to it. He sported it during his Under-19 tenure and originally aimed to retain it as his career advanced.
“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.”
Nevertheless, he quickly discovered that using that same shirt number in the national main squad would be impossible, since it belonged to Dravid, who sported 19 throughout his international career.
Rohit remembered being advised to pick a new number should he earn a call-up to the national side. This awareness drove him to search for an alternate digit.
“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.”
How Rahul Dravid’s shirt choice altered Rohit’s path?
Dravid’s ownership of jersey No. 19 made Rohit reconsider his plans. Instead of hastily picking another digit, the young batsman opted to consult his mother.
Rohit mentioned returning to his hotel room and phoning her to explain his dilemma. He informed her that his chosen number was unavailable for the senior team and sought her recommendation for a substitute.
That telephone call proved to be the decisive moment behind his now-famous kit number.
As Rohit shared, his mother proposed number 9, believing it brought good fortune. Yet, 9 was already unavailable, and he was reluctant to opt for 27.
“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.’”
This quest for a replacement ultimately brought him to the digit pair he has donned across his entire international career.
The final decision behind Rohit selecting jersey No. 45
Even though his mother originally recommended 9, Rohit discovered a different option that suited him aesthetically. He appreciated how 4 and 5 looked side by side and noted that adding them together equaled 9.
Elaborating on the logic of his ultimate selection, Rohit shared: “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.” [My mother suggested I play with number 9 as it would bring good luck. Since 9 was already taken and I didn’t want 27, I really liked having 4 and 5 next to each other.]
The Nagpur-born batter added that he ran the combined digits by his mother prior to making the final choice.
“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.’” [I told my mother that 4-5 appeared much better visually, saying, ‘Mom, I will pick this number. It adds up to 9, and 4-5 will look fantastic on the jersey as well.’]
The selection successfully merged his mother’s guidance with his personal aesthetic taste, giving the jersey number deep personal meaning.
