Ravichandran Ashwin explains why T20 World Cup 2026 may fail to excite fans

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has sparked a fresh debate on the future of ICC tournaments by delivering a frank assessment of the future ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Ashwin believes that the sheer frequency of ICC events, combined with one-sided encounters involving highly uneven teams, could significantly reduce fan interest in the marquee tournament.

Ravichandran Ashwin explains why fans won’t watch T20 World Cup 2026

Ashwin minced no words while discussing the structure and appeal of modern ICC competitions. The former off-spinner argued that first round matches pitting top-ranked nations against relatively inexperienced teams were failing to capture the imagination of viewers.

According to Ashwin, competitions like India’s match against associated teams in the early stages do little to generate enthusiasm. He noted that such matches risk driving away fans rather than attracting them, as competitive balance is often lacking. According to him, these disparities undermine the very essence of a World Cup, supposed to showcase high-intensity cricket at the highest level.

“No one will watch the ICC T20 World Cup this time. India vs USA, India vs Namibia, these are matches that will literally take you away from the World Cup,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Loss of anticipation of world events

Ashwin also highlighted how the traditional charm of ICC tournaments has eroded over time. He recalled a time when World Cups were held once every four years, allowing anticipation and narrative to build naturally. Back then, early-round clashes between heavyweight teams like India, EnglandSri Lanka or Australia were major attractions in themselves.

Today, however, Ashwin feels that overexposure to global tournaments has dampened that enthusiasm. With fans attending World Cups and ICC events almost every year, the sense of occasion has diminished. The former Indian star suggested that rarity once made these tournaments special, a factor that is largely missing in the current calendar.

“The World Cups were held every four years. Through this, interest is used to create. India played England or Sri Lanka in the first round, and it was much more fun,” » added Ashwin.

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ICC’s overloaded schedule under scrutiny

Since 2010, ICC tournaments have been organized with remarkable regularity, hardly a year goes by without a major world event. The T20 World Cup scheduled for 2020 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was finally held in 2021, followed by another edition in 2022. The ODI World Cup was held in 2023, the T20 World Cup followed in 2024, the Champions Trophy was held in 2025, and now another T20 World Cup is coming in 2026.

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