Ravichandran Ashwin thinks One Day cricket is losing its relevance

The inception of T20 cricket has had a direct impact on the existing longer formats of the game. While Test cricket, in all its classical glory, continues to hold the charm of being the truest format of the sport and the ultimate test of a cricketer’s mettle, the 50-over ODI format has suffered from being in the shadows of the 20-over game.

Due to its fast-paced and quick nature, it’s not surprising that T20s have become the dominant form of the sport across the world. As a result, One Day cricket is fast losing its relevance and the aspects that made it unique.

While the One Day World Cup is still regarded as the pinnacle of achievement in cricket, bilateral ODIs are quickly falling out of favour with cricketers and experts alike and have become an extension of T20 cricket. Even former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has advocated for more franchise-based T20 leagues rather than bilateral ODI series between nations.

Appearing on the upcoming show of the ‘Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket club podcast’ hosted by former England captain Michael Vaughan and left-arm spinner Phil Tuffnell, Ravichandran Ashwin said, “It’s a question of relevance and I think ODI cricket needs to find its relevance. It needs to find its spot.”

Ashwin has 151 wickets from 113 ODIs but he believes that the ‘ebbs and flows’ of the game that was unique to One Day cricket is now a thing of the past. Cricketers used to bide their time and focused on taking the game deep and the 50-over format was also one where bowlers had a greater say in the game and the competition between bat and ball proved to be exciting to watch.

As a self-described ‘cricket nut’, Ashwin himself admitted to switching off the TV after a point while watching an ODI match.

“Even me as a cricket badger and a cricket nut, I switch off the TV after a point and that’s frankly very scary for the format of the game. When those ebbs and flows go missing, it’s not cricket anymore. It is just an extended form of T20,” he maintained.

With two new balls being used in an ODI innings, the Indian all-rounder pushed for the return to the old format where a single ball would be used throughout the innings and it made for a more even contest.