“No one is going to watch the ICC T20 World Cup this time” - Ravi Ashwin makes a stunning statement, slams ICC

Former Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin has slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its scheduling of the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, asserting that no one will watch the competition.

Notably, the mega event is scheduled to start on Saturday, February 7, in India and Sri Lanka. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin stated that India’s early fixtures in the competition feature against associate nations, and such games may keep people away from watching the competition. 

"No one is going to watch the ICC T20 World Cup this time. India vs USA, India vs. Namibia—these are games that will literally pull you away from the World Cup. World Cups used to happen once every four years. Because of that, the interest is used to build. India used to play England or Sri Lanka in the first round, and that was a lot more fun," said Ashwin in a video on his YouTube Channel 'Ash ki Baat'.

“Back in 1996, 1999 and 2003, when I was in school, the World Cup came once every four years. We collected World Cup cards, printed schedules and waited for it. That anticipation used to build naturally," he added.

Most recently, Ashwin also made an interesting prediction about the future of the 50-over format after the conclusion of the ICC ODI World Cup 2027. Furthermore, he added that the Indian cricketing fraternity followed the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 campaign because of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s presence in the tournament. 

"I am not sure about the future of ODI after the 2027 World Cup. I am a little worried about it. Of course, I am following the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but the manner in which I followed the SMAT, I am finding it slightly difficult to follow," Ashwin stated.

"Look, Rohit and Virat came back to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and people started watching it. We have known that sport is always bigger than individuals, but at times these players need to come back to make the game relevant. The Vijay Hazare Trophy, of course, is a domestic competition that not a lot of people follow, but they did because Kohli and Rohit were playing. Even then, what happens when they stop playing ODIs?" he concluded.

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