Overview

• On June 1 at Canterbury, India A bowler Mukesh Kumar wore the number 18 jersey in the first unofficial Test against England Lions, replacing his usual 49.
• The number 18 shirt is synonymous with Virat Kohli, who stepped away from Test cricket in May 2025 after 14 years wearing it.
• Outrage on social media saw fans on X demand BCCI action and accuse the change of dishonoring Kohli’s contributions to Indian cricket.
• The BCCI has previously retired numbers for legends like Sachin Tendulkar (10) and MS Dhoni (7) but has not yet taken up calls to retire Kohli’s 18.
• Mukesh delivered a standout performance in the match’s early stages with figures of 3/56 at lunch.