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Indian ODI cricket could lose relevance after Rohit and Kohli retire, fears Ravi Ashwin

Indian ODI cricket could lose relevance after Rohit and Kohli retire, fears Ravi Ashwin

Indian ODI cricket could lose relevance after Rohit and Kohli retire Ashwin Photograph: (AFP)

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Ashwin feels Test cricket might still find its space among the audience, but ODI cricket might face the wrath of time.

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels Indian ODI cricket will feel optional once the two batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, announce their One-Day retirements. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said he is unsure about the future of 50-over cricket following the next World Cup (in 2027), ringing alarm bells for the format. Although Ashwin admits to following the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, he feels like putting in extra effort to keep up with it as compared to watching the T20 competition (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy).

“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,” Ashwin said.

The former ODI WC winner, Ashwin, feels Test cricket might still find its space among the audience, but ODI cricket might face the wrath of time.

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“Also, we need to know what the audience wants to watch. I feel Test cricket still has space, but ODI cricket, I truly feel, doesn’t have the space,” Ashwin, who has 156 ODI wickets to name, continued.

However, he also stressed how the Indian ODI cricket, riding on Rohit and Virat’s shoulders, could lose its relevance once both decide to step aside. Ashwin also pinpointed how their presence in the Vijay Hazare Trophy made this tournament, which otherwise happens every year, the talking point among the Indian fans.

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“Look, Rohit and Virat came back to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and people started watching it. We have known that sport is always bigger than individuals, but at times these players need to come back to make the game relevant.

Ashwin questions that when both leave, where would India’s ODI cricket go from that point?

“Vijay Hazare Trophy, of course, is a domestic competition that not a lot of people follow, but they did because Virat and Rohit were playing. Even then, what happens when they stop playing ODIs?” Ashwin concluded.

Meanwhile, Rohit and Virat would play the home ODIs against New Zealand, starting in 10 days.

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Gautam Sodhi

Meet Gautam, a seasoned journalist with over eight years of experience in covering the world of sports. I am a self-proclaimed cricket fanatic, having a deep passion for the game a...Read More