According to former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, the One-Day International format would struggle to survive and remain relevant after the 2027 World Cup once its true greats, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, decide to call it quits.
Although Kohli and Rohit’s involvement in the Vijay Hazare Trophy has generated a lot of excitement, Ashwin feels that the 50-overs format is gradually becoming less popular due to the growth of T20 leagues and Test cricket already having its own currency.
“I am not sure about future of ODI after 2027 World Cup. I am a little worried about it. Of course, I am following Vijay Hazare Trophy but the manner in which I followed SMAT, I am finding slightly difficult to follow,” Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
“Also, we need to know what audience wants to watch. I feel Test cricket still has space but ODI cricket, I truly feel (it) doesn’t have the space,” Ashwin was categorical in his assessment.
With 765 wickets, Ashwin is India’s second-highest wicket-taker across formats. He expressed concern about the format’s future if Kohli and Rohit, who have a combined total of 86 ODI tons, call it quits.
“Look, Rohit and Virat came back to Vijay Hazare Trophy and people started watching it. We have known that sport is always bigger than individuals but at times these players (Ro-Ko) need to come back to make the game relevant,” he observed.
“Vijay Hazare Trophy (national one-dayers), of course, is a domestic competition that not a lot of people follow, but they did (so now) because Virat and Rohit were playing. Even then, what happens when they stop playing ODIs?” he wondered.
According to Ashwin, the 50-over format was once a “amazing format” that gave rise to players like Mahendra Singh Dhoni who were adept at controlling innings.
“One-day cricket, once upon a time, was an amazing format because it gave a player like MS Dhoni who (would) take singles for 10-15 overs before he went berserk at the end. You don’t have players like that (Dhoni) anymore and there isn’t any requirement to play like that, as you are playing with two new balls and five fielders inside circle.”
According to Ashwin, there are two ways that modern ODIs are played: either in a “BashaThon” or on a little challenging pitch, which results in teams being dismissed for 120.
While acknowledging that revenue production is crucial to the global health of the game, Ashwin also encouraged the ICC to reconsider its calendar.
“The ODI format has become redundant and to top it, ICC needs to see how they are conducting these World Cups. Every year, there is an ICC tournament for revenue generation pattern, but then look at how FIFA is doing it.
“There are leagues (EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga) happening and they do their World Cup once in every four years. The World Cup is having value as it’s a marquee tournament. Too many bilaterals, too many formats, too many World Cups, so it’s little bit of an overkill,” he feels.
Ashwin said that several of the future T20 World Cup matches, like India vs USA and India vs Namibia, would not draw large crowds.
While many, including the great Sachin Tendulkar, have proposed a split-innings format for one-dayers, Ashwin believes that the World Cup should be the only 50-overs competition held every four years.
“If you really want to make ODI cricket relevant, then just play these (T20s) leagues and play ODI World Cup once in four years, so when people turn up for events, there will be sense of expectation. I feel it is going towards slow death.”
