Ashwin Fears ODIs May Fade After Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma Retirement

Ravichandran Ashwin believes one-day cricket is slowly losing its place in the modern game. Speaking on his YouTube show, he said ODIs are getting squeezed between the fast rise of T20 leagues and the long-standing value of Test cricket.

Ashwin said he is unsure what the future holds for ODIs after the 2027 World Cup. He feels interest could dip once senior stars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli step away from the format.

“I am not sure about the future of ODI after the 2027 World Cup. I am a little worried about it,” Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat.

He pointed out how fan interest suddenly rose when Rohit and Kohli played the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season. According to Ashwin, it showed how big names are now needed to pull attention towards one-day cricket.

“Look, Rohit and Virat came back to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and people started watching it,” he said. Ashwin added that while sport should be bigger than individuals, star players still play a key role in keeping formats relevant.

Ashwin also spoke about how ODI batting has changed over the years. He said the old style of building an innings patiently is no longer needed in today’s game.

“One-day cricket, once upon a time, was an amazing format because it gave a player like MS Dhoni time before he went berserk at the end,” Ashwin said.

He explained that rule changes have taken away that space. With two new balls and fielding restrictions, batters are pushed to attack early, leaving little room for the kind of innings ODIs were once known for.

“You don’t have players like that anymore, and there isn’t any requirement to play like that,” he said.

Ashwin did not hold back while speaking about the bigger picture. He called the ODI format “redundant” and criticised the International Cricket Council for hosting ICC events almost every year.

“Every year, there is an ICC tournament for revenue generation patterns,” he said, while comparing it to how FIFA runs football’s World Cup.

Ashwin suggested a clear solution. He wants players to focus more on domestic and franchise leagues and limit ODIs mainly to a World Cup held once every four years.

“If you really want to make ODI cricket relevant, then just play these leagues and play the ODI World Cup once in four years,” he said. Ashwin believes fewer events will bring back anticipation and give the format a fresh purpose.

He warned that without changes, ODIs could face a “slow death” once India’s current generation of superstars moves on.