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Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin felt that the individuality of ODI cricket gets lost somewhere between the enduring value of Test cricket and the growing dominance of T20 cricket. He also expressed concern about how individual stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma attract people to ODI tournaments, which people would not otherwise witness.
In recent times, T20 cricket around the world has gained special importance. Ravichandran Ashwin also noted the same and felt that the excessive rise in T20 cricket due to its global fan base and the value of Test cricket is reducing the space for 50-over tournaments.
ODI Cricket is losing its importance – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin put himself in the audience’s shoes and asserted that he was concerned about the future of the ODI format with the retirement of senior cricketers like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
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“I am not sure about the future of ODI after the 2027 World Cup. It worries me a bit. Of course, I am the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but the way I took the SMAT, I find it a bit difficult to follow,” Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat.
He highlighted the public’s preference for watching more T20s, while giving some space to Tests, but no space for ODI cricket. “I feel this is heading towards a slow death,” Ravichandran Ashwin said bluntly.
Ashwin highlighted the importance of big names like Rohit and Virat in making the game relevant.
Ashwin highlighted the importance of big names in all formats of the game. He proved how Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy grabbed people’s attention and as a result, many other young cricketers also received the deserved limelight.
“Look, Rohit and Virat came back to the Vijay Hazare Trophy and people started watching it. We know that sport is always bigger than individuals, but sometimes these players have to come back to make the game relevant,” he observed.
However, on the other hand, Ashwin talks about the changing nature of the one-day format. He said the format, which previously gave hitters time to settle in, has now evolved.
“One-day cricket, once upon a time, was an amazing format because it gave a player like MS Dhoni, who would bowl singles for 10-15 overs before going berserk at the end,” he said.
According to Ashwin, this style has virtually disappeared. “You don’t have players like that anymore, and there’s no obligation to play like that, because you’re playing with two new balls and five defensive players inside the circle,” he said.
Ravichandran Ashwin urges ICC to rethink its approach to ODI cricket, comparing it to FIFA World Cup
The former Indian spinning industry veteran stressed that the ICC needs to simultaneously rethink its approach to format and recognize the importance of revenue.
“The ODI format has become redundant, and to top it all, the ICC needs to see how they organize these World Cups. Every year there is an ICC tournament for revenue generation models, but then look at how FIFA does it,” he said.
He further felt that too many international fixtures have acted as an exaggeration in cricket; therefore, Ravichandran Ashwin suggested a structure like football, where teams and players are busy in franchise leagues, and the anticipation of a World Cup is built around the four-year gap between two such tournaments.
“If you really want to make ODI cricket relevant, then just play these leagues and play the ODI World Cup once in four years, so when people turn up for events, there will be a sense of expectation,” he said.
