The future of One-Day International (ODI) cricket has been questioned by former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has expressed concern over the format’s survival beyond the 2027 World Cup. With the growing popularity of T20 leagues and the continued appeal of Test cricket, Ashwin believes the relevance of the 50-over matches is rapidly declining.
Addressing the changing focus in the world of cricket, Ashwin stated, “I’m not sure the future of ODIs after the 2027 World Cup. I’m a little worried about that. Of course I watch the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but the way I watched the SMAT, it’s a bit difficult for me to watch,” he said on his Hindi YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’. He continued, “We also need to know what the audience wants to watch. I feel Test cricket still has room, but I really feel ODI cricket doesn’t.”
The influence of star players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has become critical to maintain interest in the domestic one-day format. Ashwin remarked, “Look, Rohit and Virat returned for the Vijay Hazare Trophy and people started watching it. We knew that the sport is always bigger than the individuals, but sometimes these players (Ro-Ko) need to come back to make the game relevant.” He wondered, “Even then, what happens when they stop playing ODIs?”
Reflecting on the evolution of ODI batting, Ashwin spoke of how the 50-over was once a “wonderful format” that produced players like Mahendra Singh Dhoni who knew how to control the innings. “One-day cricket was once a wonderful format because it gave a player like MS Dhoni who (would) take a single for 10-15 overs before going berserk at the end.” He added: “You don’t have a player like that (Dhoni) anymore and there is no requirement to play like that because you are playing with two new balls and five fielders inside the circle.” Modern ODIs, he said, are played at two speeds – either a ‘BashaThon’ or, on difficult wickets, teams are bowled out cheaply.
In the international calendar, Ashwin commented on the increase in ICC events. “The ODI format has become redundant and also the ICC needs to see how they run these world cups. Every year there is an ICC tournament to generate revenue, but then look at how FIFA is doing it.” He continued: “There are leagues (EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga) and they hold their World Cup every four years. The World Cup has value because it’s the marquee tournament. Too many bilaterals, too many formats, too many World Cups, so it’s a bit overkill.”
Looking ahead, Ashwin considered possible solutions. While some have suggested a split-innings format for one-dayers, Ashwin feels that only one 50-over event, the World Cup every four years, can be explored. “If you really want ODI cricket to be relevant, then just play these (T20) leagues and have an ODI World Cup once every four years, so when people turn up for the events, there’s a sense of anticipation. I feel like it’s going to die a slow death.”
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
January 1, 2026
