Ashwin Says T20 Cricket Is Here to Stay, Questions ODI Future

New Delhi — Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes T20 cricket will continue to drive the sport’s global growth, while expressing uncertainty about the long-term future of One-Day Internationals.

Speaking after the European T20 Premier League 2026 Player Draft, the Dublin Guardians captain and mentor said the shorter format is best suited to expanding cricket into new markets and supporting the sport’s return to the Olympic Games.

Asked whether cricket’s development in emerging nations should focus primarily on T20s or extend to other formats, Ashwin said players must learn to adapt to different situations regardless of the format.

“I think cricket as a whole needs to be learned in a way that you get better every single day. You should be able to adapt. The name of the game is adaptation,” Ashwin said in a media interaction following the conclusion of the ETPL 2026 Player Draft.

He cited India’s recent T20 International series against Ireland as an example of how playing conditions can alter the nature of the shortest format and force players to adjust.

“Which is why what happened recently between India and Ireland in that T20 series is a classic example of how conditions can eliminate a lot of aspects of the game that have been developed as a root cause of T20 as a sport,” the all-rounder added.

Ashwin said T20 remains the most practical format for cricket’s expansion because of its shorter duration and accessibility.

“But that aside, our job will be purely on T20 cricket and how it can get better. And if the game has to become global and it has to become an Olympic sport, the shorter the game, the more viable it is,” the Dublin Guardians captain and mentor stated.

He said franchise leagues operating throughout the year will continue to expose more players to high-level competition and help the format grow.

“And that’s how it’s going to become much bigger, and you will see a better sample size of players. Which is also very critical for several of these leagues, which run through the year,” Ashwin said.

The 38-year-old offered a more uncertain assessment of the future of 50-over cricket.

“T20 as a sport is here to stay. I am not too sure about ODI cricket.” (Source: IANS)