Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has issued a strong warning to the International Cricket Council (ICC), suggesting that the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup could suffer from low viewership.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that the frequent scheduling of ICC tournaments and the growing gap in quality between teams could reduce fan interest. He pointed out that one-sided matches in the early stages of the competition may push viewers away.
“No one will bother watching the ICC T20 World Cup this time. India vs USA, India vs Namibia matches will push fans away. World Cups used to happen every four years, and the excitement would build up. India used to face teams like England or Sri Lanka in the first round, which was much more entertaining,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin expressed concern that ICC events are now held too often, which has reduced the anticipation traditionally associated with World Cups. He added that the widening gap between established and emerging teams has resulted in uncompetitive early-round matches, affecting the overall appeal of the tournament.
Since 2010, ICC tournaments have taken place almost every year, with 2018 being the only exception. The T20 World Cup scheduled for 2020 was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was held again in 2022.
The 50-over World Cup followed in 2023, the T20 World Cup in 2024, the Champions Trophy in 2025, and another T20 World Cup is scheduled for 2026.
Ashwin’s views reflect similar concerns raised by fans and former players, who believe that the crowded international calendar has led to monotony and viewer fatigue.
The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will begin on February 7 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The tournament will feature 20 teams.
منھنجي خيال ۾ ايشون ڳالھ ته صحيح پيو ڪري پر پاڪستان سان نفرت به آهي، هن کي سٺو ڪرڪيٽر ٿيڻو پوندو، سٺو رانديگر اسان به سمجهون ٿا پر انهن ۾ اهو تصور الاءِ ڪڏهن ايندو، پاڪستان هڪ شاندار ملڪ آهي راندين جي حوالي سان، مهمان نوازي جي حوالي سان، پاڪستان ۽ انڊيا جا ماڻھو ايتري نفرت نٿا ڪن، ميڊيا پنهنجي ويورشپ وڌائڻ جي چڪر ۾ نفرتن تائين هلي ٿي وڃي، انڊين ميڊيا کي آئون چوندس ته اوهان جي انگريزي واقعي ۾ سٺي آهي پر اخلاق ۽ ڪردار ۾ اوهان جي ميڊيا کان پاڪستان جي ميڊيا هزارين سال اڳتي آهي. انڪري نفرتون نه پکيڙيو محبتون ورهايو، نفرتن کي ورهائڻ وارا کوڙ سارا ماڻھو اڳيئي موجود آهن، اسلام عليڪم
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