R Ashwin worried about future of ODI cricket after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli retire

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in action during first ODI vs South Africa in Ranchi. (PHOTO: AP)

The One-Day International format could struggle once established stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retire from it, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has stated. It is a sentiment that has been expressed by a number of former players, with the number of matches being played in the format, particularly involving the top sides, also dwindling in recent years.

“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, India’s second highest Test wicket-taker of all time with 537 scalps, said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.

Ashwin said that he feels Test cricket will continue to have its space even in the age of T20s, but he is not sure if fans want to see too much ODI cricket at the expense of either. “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,” said Ashwin, who also took 156 wickets in 116 ODIs.

“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.

The lack of ODI cricket is also something that has resulted in Kohli and Rohit playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar stating that the two veteran players may need to play in the domestic 50-over competition earlier in the year due to the bilaterals being played in the format dwindling in recent years. Both Rohit and Kohli retired from Test cricket earlier this year and T20Is after winning the T20 World Cup last year, making the ODI format the only one they are active in.