Rohit Sharma‘s jersey number 45 has become synonymous with the Indian cricket star, popularly known as the ‘Hitman’. While fans instantly recognise the number whenever he walks onto the field, the story behind his choice is a personal one involving his early cricketing days, former India captain Rahul Dravid and, most importantly, his mother.
Rohit recently opened up about the reason behind choosing the iconic number on his gaming reality show, ‘Family Full House with Rohit Sharma.’
Rohit Sharma initially chose jersey no. 19
Rohit’s journey towards the number 45 began during his early cricketing days. When he first started playing in a numbered jersey, several popular numbers, including 5, 8 and 9, had already been taken by other players.
Explaining his original preference, Rohit said: “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.”
With his preferred options unavailable, he settled on jersey number 19 because he liked the number. He wore it while playing at the Under-19 level and initially hoped to continue using it as his career progressed.
“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.”
However, he soon learnt that wearing the same number for the senior Indian team would not be possible, as it was already associated with Dravid, who wore No. 19 during his international career.
Rohit recalled being told that he would need to select a different number if he made it to the Indian team. That realisation prompted him to look for another option.
“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 jersey number changed Rohit’s plans?
Dravid’s association with jersey number 19 forced Rohit to reconsider his choice. Rather than selecting another number immediately, the young cricketer decided to seek advice from his mother.
Rohit explained that he returned to his hotel and called her to discuss the situation. He told her that he could not continue with his preferred number and asked her to suggest an alternative.
That conversation became the turning point in the story behind his famous jersey.
According to Rohit, his mother suggested number 9 because she believed it would be lucky for him. However, that number had already been taken. He also did not want to choose number 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.’”
The search for an alternative eventually led him to the combination that has remained with him throughout his international career.
Why Rohit finally selected jersey no. 45?
Although his mother initially suggested number 9, Rohit found another option that appealed to him visually. He liked the way the digits 4 and 5 looked together and realised that their sum was also 9.
Explaining the reasoning behind his final decision, Rohit said: “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.” [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.]
The Nagpur-born further explained that he discussed the combination with his mother before settling on it.
“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.’” [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.’]
The decision combined Rohit’s mother’s suggestion with his own preference, making the number meaningful to him.