Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed serious concern about the future of One-Day International (ODI) cricket, especially after senior stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma eventually move away from the format.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin said he is unsure whether ODIs will remain relevant beyond the 2027 World Cup.
He pointed out that the number of ODI matches, particularly involving top international teams, has already reduced significantly in recent years.
“I am not very sure about the future of ODI cricket after the 2027 World Cup. I am a little worried,” Ashwin said.
He added that while he follows domestic cricket, he finds it harder to stay engaged with 50-over matches compared to shorter formats.
“I followed the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy closely, but I find it slightly difficult to follow the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the same way,” he admitted.
Ashwin, who is India’s second-highest Test wicket-taker with 537 wickets and also took 156 wickets in ODIs, believes Test cricket will survive even in the age of T20 leagues.
However, he is not convinced that ODIs have the same space anymore.
“We need to understand what the audience wants to watch,” he said. “Test cricket still has its own place, but ODI cricket—I truly feel—it doesn’t have the same space now.”
He highlighted how the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the Vijay Hazare Trophy suddenly brought attention to the domestic 50-over competition.
“When Rohit and Virat came back to play Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, people started watching,” Ashwin noted.
While acknowledging that cricket is bigger than any individual, Ashwin stressed that star power still plays a major role in keeping formats relevant.
“Sometimes, players like Rohit and Virat need to be there to make the game matter to fans,” he said.
He also raised a crucial question about the future. “Vijay Hazare Trophy is a domestic tournament that not many people usually follow.
People watched it only because Rohit and Virat were playing. So what happens when they stop playing ODIs as well?” Ashwin asked.
The decline in ODI cricket has also affected India’s top players. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar recently explained that Kohli and Rohit were asked to play domestic 50-over cricket because there are fewer ODI bilateral series now.
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have already retired from Test cricket earlier this year.
They also stepped away from T20 Internationals after India won the T20 World Cup last year.
As things stand, ODI cricket is the only international format in which the two legends are still active.
Ashwin’s comments echo a growing concern in world cricket—that unless ODIs find a clear identity between Tests and T20s, the format could slowly fade once its biggest stars step away.
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