New Delhi: With the five-match ODI series already in the pocket, Team India gave a chance to Shardul Thakur in the fourth match between India and Sri Lanka.
Shardul, who has been a part of the Indian squad since 2016 when the Men in Blue toured West Indies, became the 218th player to make India debut in the 50-over format.
Ahead of the match in Colombo, Shardul was given his ODI cap by coach and former Indian skipper Ravi Shastri.
The Mumbai seamer bowled seven overs for 26 runs and a wicket, but sadly, the youngster's performance was overshadowed by a needless controversy.
The 25-year-old was criticised by many on social media for wearing jersey number 10, the same which batting legend Sachin Tendulkar sported during his career.
Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who's been a close friend of Tendulkar over the years, however, defended Thakur on the issue.
"What's the poor guy's fault if he wore that jersey? If he's grown up watching Tendulkar, it may have been his dream to wear the No. 10 jersey and play for India, for which he's worked hard. It could be his way of paying tribute to the great man, or emulate him, or it could be his lucky number."
"Everyone has their emotions. We all respect Sachin paaji. No one wore that jersey till the time he was playing. That jersey will live on forever. Its respect will not go down simply because someone else is wearing it. It's the Board which must decide if it wants to retire or preserve this jersey number, and dedicate it to Sachin. And if it was to be done, it should've been done when he quit the game (in 2013). If you speak Sachin also, he wouldn't have a problem with someone wearing it," Harbhajan told TOI on Friday.
"Personally, I don't see anything wrong with anyone wearing his jersey. We should encourage youngsters to do well in this game and win games for India, just like Tendulkar did. It's unfair to criticise Shardul for this, and drag him into this unnecessary controversy. Tomorrow, you may say that no one can wear Virender Sehwag's No 45, or MS Dhoni's No 7 jersey," added the 37-year-old tweaker, who took 417 wickets in 103 Tests."
"And see, by just wearing Tendulkar's jersey, no one will become Tendulkar. Tendulkar will remain at the top as always -highly respected and regarded. When you're allowed to wear that number and it's available, why not wear it?" concluded the 'Turbanator.'
Thakur has also cleared the air on why he chose 10 as his jersey number.
In an interview, he revealed the real reason behind his jersey number. It is numerology. He further added that 10 is the sum total of his date of birth. His date of birth is 16th October, 1991.
According to a numerology calculation, the total of his date of birth (16 + 10 + 1991) comes to ten. For fans who are vehemently opposing his jersey number, hope this explanation works.
