Rishabh Pant Returns to Action, Sparks Buzz After Wearing Virat Kohli’s No. 18 Jersey in India A Match

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant made his much-awaited return to competitive cricket on Thursday after a three-month injury layoff, featuring in the India A home series against South Africa A at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence ground. The match marked the first of two four-day games for India A, scheduled ahead of the senior team’s two-Test series next month.

However, what caught fans’ attention wasn’t just Pant’s comeback — it was the jersey he wore. The India A captain was seen donning Virat Kohli’s iconic No. 18 jersey, sparking a social media frenzy.

Kohli, who retired from Test cricket in May this year, left millions of fans emotional, many of whom urged the BCCI to retire his No. 18 jersey — as it had done for MS Dhoni (No. 7) and Sachin Tendulkar (No. 10). But with no official decision yet from the board, the number remains in circulation.

Fans were quick to wonder if Pant had officially switched his jersey number from 17 to 18, with images from the match going viral across platforms.

Not the First to Wear No. 18 Post-Kohli
Pant isn’t the first Indian cricketer to wear the number since Kohli’s Test retirement. In June, pacer Mukesh Kumar was spotted in a No. 18 jersey during an unofficial Test against the England Lions, drawing backlash from fans who viewed it as “disrespectful” toward the former India captain.

At the time, a senior BCCI official clarified that jersey numbers in India A matches are not fixed, as players’ kits do not feature their names.

“Mukesh wore No. 18 during the opening Test versus the Lions. But for India A, there are no permanent jersey numbers. Players can pick any available number. The numbering is sacrosanct only for international matches,” the official had told PTI.