BCCI warned of ODI’s slow death post Rohit-Kohli era:Ravichandran Ashwin questions ICC calendar, including T20 World Cup schedule

Former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin says that ODIs might face a crisis after the 2027 World Cup. This is because stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will retire by then. He has also questioned the schedule of the T20 World Cup. The 39-year-old Ashwin said on Thursday, “I am not sure about the future of ODI after the 2027 World Cup. I am a little worried about it. Of course, I am following the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but the manner in which I followed SMAT, I am finding it slightly difficult to follow.” Virat-Rohit’s participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy has been a topic of discussion. Ashwin believes that with the increasing number of T20 leagues and the distinct importance of Test cricket, the space for the 50-over format is continuously shrinking. Nowadays, the number of ODI matches is decreasing in every tour, while more T20 matches are being played. For example, look at New Zealand’s tour of India… it will have 3 ODIs and 5 T20 matches. He said- We need to understand what fans want to see. I think there is still a place for Test cricket, but there is really no place left for ODI cricket. Ashwin, who has taken 765 wickets in international cricket, says that the ODI format will become even weaker after the retirement of Virat and Rohit. If you want to make ODIs relevant, then play these T20 leagues and hold the ODI World Cup only once every 4 years. When people come to watch it, they will have enthusiasm and hope. I think ODI cricket is slowly moving towards extinction.’ People started watching Vijay Hazare because of Virat-Rohit He further added on the domestic tournaments​​​​​​, “When Rohit-Virat came to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, people started watching it. We know that the game is always bigger than the players, but sometimes big players need to return for the relevance of the game. The Vijay Hazare Trophy is a domestic ODI tournament that not many people watch. But because Virat and Rohit played, people came to watch it. Then the question is, what will happen when they stop playing ODIs?” No players like Dhoni, no need for that kind of batting either This former cricketer said that at one time, 50-over cricket used to be a fantastic format. It brought forward players like MS Dhoni, who knew how to manage the innings. Dhoni used to manage the innings by taking only singles for 1015 overs, then he would bat explosively at the end. Now there are no such players, and there is no need for that kind of batting either. Because now there are two new balls and 5 fielders inside the circle.’ Appealed to ICC to reconsider the calendar Ashwin also appealed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to reconsider the calendar. He feels that too many World Cups are being held. Ashwin said, “The ODI format has now become somewhat unnecessary. The way ICC is organising World Cups. Every year, an ICC tournament is held for revenue. Look at FIFA. There are different leagues there, and the World Cup happens once every four years. That’s why the World Cup has its own distinct importance.” Matches against USA and Namibia will bore fans Ashwin said, “Too many bilateral series, too many formats, and too many World Cups all this combined has led to too much cricket.” He also said that matches like India vs USA and India vs Namibia in the upcoming T20 World Cup might even drive viewers away from cricket.