'Sport is always bigger than individuals' - World Cup winner on Rohit-Virat's return to domestic cricket

Jan 1, 2026 - 12:15

Rohit Sharma. (Photo source: Mark Evans - CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Former India star Ravichandran Ashwin feels that the Indian cricket fans are showing keen interest in the Vijay Hazare Trophy only because of the presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Ashwin feels that the domestic 50-over competition got the widespread recognition only because the star duo took part in the first couple of rounds.

Furthermore, Ashwin also raised concerns about the future of One-Day Internationals post the conclusion of the World Cup in 2027. While he feels that Test and T20 cricket do have a relatively larger audience and will remain relevant for the time being, but the 50-over format can get slightly overwhelming in the changing times and approach for the sport.

“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. Vijay Hazare Trophy 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?” Ashwin wondered in a video on his YouTube channel.
“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. 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,” he opined.

The number of ODIs top-tier international sides play nowadays has reduced drastically. The Indian men's team played only two bilateral ODI series in 2025, having six games in total. They also played five matches during their triumphant Champions Trophy campaign, but that was about it. With interesting narrowing down and fans not keen on watching, it remains to be seen how the stakeholders shape the future of the one-day format.