Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Has sparked a new debate about the future of the upcoming ICC tournaments by giving a clear assessment of them ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026Ashwin believes that the excessive frequency of ICC events, with one-sided fixtures involving extremely unequal teams, could significantly reduce fan interest in the marquee tournament,
Ravichandran Ashwin explains why fans will not watch T20 World Cup 2026
Ashwin left no stone unturned when discussing the structure and appeal of modern ICC competitions. The former off-spinner argued that early-round matches of top-ranked nations against relatively inexperienced teams fail to capture the imagination of spectators.
According to Ashwin, competitions like India facing fellow teams in the early stages do little to generate excitement. He commented that such fixtures risk driving away fans rather than attracting them, as the competitive balance is often missing. In his view, these mismatches dilute the essence of the World Cup, which aims to showcase high-intensity cricket at the highest level.
“No one is going to watch the ICC T20 World Cup this time. India vs USA, India vs Namibia – these are the games that will really take you away from the World Cup,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Loss of anticipation about global events
Ashwin also highlighted how the traditional allure of ICC tournaments has diminished over time. He recalled the era when the World Cup was held once every four years, which naturally created anticipation and narrative. At that time, there used to be preliminary round clashes between great teams like India, EnglandSri Lanka, or Australia were major attractions in themselves.
Now, however, Ashwin feels that the excessive exposure of global tournaments has dampened that enthusiasm. With fans watching World Cups and ICC events almost every year, the sense of occasion has diminished. The former Indian star suggested that scarcity was once what made these tournaments special, a factor that is largely missing in the current calendar.
“The World Cup used to happen once every four years. That’s why the interest increased. India used to play England or Sri Lanka in the first round and that was a lot of fun.” Added Ashwin.
Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin picks 2 extraordinary players for India in 2025
Overcrowded ICC schedule being scrutinized
Since 2010, ICC tournaments have been held with remarkable regularity, with rarely a year going by without a major global event. The T20 World Cup, scheduled for 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was eventually held in 2021, followed by another edition in 2022. The ODI World Cup took place in 2023, the T20 World Cup in 2024, the Champions Trophy in 2025 and now there will be another T20 World Cup in 2026.
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